How Did We Get Here?
by GeneHarlow
Summary: In 2020, Alex and Norma's son, Jacob, asks to hear the story of how his parents met, and the events leading up to them living in separate houses. "When did you stop loving mom?" He said, in a tiny voice, keeping his eyes trained on his pancakes. "I never stopped loving your mother. Never." He reiterated seriously. "I'll always love her, no matter what, ok champ?"
1. 2020

**Thanks to Clarissa for the original request. Loved this idea!**

* * *

 **2020**

"When did you and mom first meet?"

Their son was sitting in front of the TV, watching one of Alex's old X-Files DVDs, while Alex prepared breakfast for them. He was vaguely aware that it probably wasn't appropriate viewing for such a small child, but his son had taken a fancy to the show, and he was powerless to say no to him.

"Er..." He floundered a second at the unexpected question, taking a deep breath before answering.

"It was late at night." He started, immediately regretting his choice of words, realising how it sounded. "She had just moved to White Pine Bay." He said simply, prodding unnecessarily at the bacon in the pan.

There was a long pause, and he heard the TV click off and the patter of little feet over to the kitchen area. There was a scraping sound, as Jacob pulled one of the stools around the breakfast counter back and perched himself on it.

"And?" He said expectantly, and Alex floundered a little, glancing at the child wearing Jurassic Park pajamas, staring at him expectantly, his head resting on his hands.

"And... she was pulling up carpeting." He added, somewhat pointlessly.

"What did you talk about?"

Alex cast his mind back. The moment he'd first laid eyes on her was clearly burned into his mind, but the minutes after that were a bit blurry.

"Erm... I don't know, really?" He shrugged down at the pan. There was a pause and he realised he wasn't going to get off that easy. "We talked about... erm..." He remembered something suddenly. "Oh! We talked about her and your brother having almost the same name."

Jacob giggled and Alex couldn't help but smile, agitating the bacon again.

"Norma/Norman?" Jacob breathed gently.

"Exactly." Alex deposited the bacon onto kitchen roll for a second, before heading to grab the orange juice from the fridge, hoping the conversation would be over.

"Was it love at first sight?"

Alex paused, the carton crushing slightly as his grip tightened on it. There was silence that felt like hours to the child waiting patiently at the breakfast table.

"Erm... I guess so?" Alex said honestly, casting an awkward glance at his son, plonking the juice down heavily. "She annoyed the hell out of me, but... I couldn't stop thinking about her the next day." He smiled at the thought.

"Why do you ask?" His voice took on a teasing quality. "There a girl you like?"

"Ew. No." Jacob screwed up his face in disgust, carefully pouring himself a glass of juice under Alex's watchful eye. He took a long sip, holding the glass in both of his tiny hands, looking younger than he was for a second.

"Mom doesn't agree." Jacob blurted out suddenly, and Alex barked out a surprised laugh.

"Oh?" He glanced over his shoulder to see his son shaking his head at the contents of his glass, swirling it round like he was a jaded drunk in a bar staring glumly at a glass of whiskey, not a little kid without a care in the world.

"She didn't like you. She said you were grumpy."

Alex laughed at that, as he retrieved the pancakes from where he'd been keeping them warm in the oven. He was getting much better at cooking, but his timings still weren't great. He was no Norma.

"Well, yeah son. I guess I was grumpy back then." He conceded, plating up their breakfasts and depositing the two plates onto the counter, before taking his seat opposite Jacob.

They both took a bite of their breakfast, chewing slowly, both of them lost in thought for a moment.

"When did mom say she fell in love with me then?" Alex piped up finally, hating himself for prying, but curious to know the answer.

"She said you hurt your face. She was looking after you and she said she knew you'd get married then."

Alex laughed at that, at the idea that Norma Bates had done his laundry once and decided she would one day marry him. He remembered the day well, remembered the fierce blue of her eyes burning into him, even after all these years had passed. He hadn't realised how much it had meant to her, till now.

"But then... she didn't want to talk about it anymore." Jacob carried on sadly, pushing a piece of pancake around his plate. "And then she got upset."

"She did?" Alex's heart ached at the thought.

"Yeah. She said she was fine, but then I heard her crying in her room." He rested his head on his hand unhappily, before he jerked his head up suddenly.

"I didn't mean to make her sad!" He blurted out, like he thought he might be in trouble.

"It's ok, Jacob. I know you didn't." He reached over to pat his little hand reassuringly, smiling gently at him.

They ate in a thoughtful silence for a little while longer, Alex watching as Jacob clearly struggled to voice another question.

"When... When did you and mom stop loving each other?" He said in a small voice, casting his eyes down.

Alex sucked in a long, slow breath, placing his knife and fork down and knitting his hands together.

"Why do you ask, son?" He replied quietly, ducking his head to get him to meet his gaze. Concerned chocolate brown eyes met worried chocolate brown eyes.

"It's just... James Heldens at school says that if your parents don't live together, they must hate each other? Cause once you get divorced, you stop loving each other?"

Him and Norma had never actually got a divorce, but there didn't seem to be any use pointing that out right now. It would only complicate things. Alex would never have suggesting having anything finalised, partly because he would never pull the funding from Norman's treatment, and partly because her never mentioning anything about it gave him a shred of hope he occasionally found himself clinging to. He said nothing, just let him carry on.

Jacob placed his fork down, pouting at his father.

"He said his mom is always saying bad things about his dad, about how he's always working, and he stays at different lady's houses every night, and how she doesn't want James to end up like him?"

He opened his mouth to say something, feeling strangely sorry for this Heldens kid, despite never meeting him. The name sounded familiar though? But Jacob carried on before he could figure it out.

"And I said that wasn't true for my mom and dad. And that you and mom don't hate each other, you just don't love each other anymore. And that you don't say bad things about each other? But... he said I was stupid and I must be wrong."

Jacob shrugged sadly, looking terrified that James Heldens was right.

"I could never hate your mother." Alex clarified quietly, and Jacob brightened a little, like his child-brain had just figured it all out.

"But you don't live together anymore?" He queried, like he couldn't wrap his head around it. "Why not? If you don't hate her, why can't we all just live together?"

Alex wished he could make him understand, floundering a little under his innocent insistence that he'd figured it all out.

"Because..." His mouth flapped open and closed, his fork waving uselessly in the air. "Because I did a very stupid thing." He said finally.

The child opened his mouth to question him further and Alex held up his hand.

"It's complicated grown up stuff, ok?"

The little boy frowned, turning his attention back to his breakfast, mulling it over, quietly accepting that he wasn't going to get any of the specifics out of his father.

"When did you stop loving mom?" He said, in a tiny voice, keeping his eyes trained on his pancakes.

There was a long silence, where Alex watched his son's dark hair as he ducked his head, avoiding his father's eye. He pushed a piece of pancake around his plate dejectedly, resting his head on his hand, pouting. Alex opened his mouth to speak several times, before deciding that he couldn't bring himself to lie to his son.

"I never stopped loving your mother." Jacob looked up in shock, his eyes bright. "Never." He reiterated seriously, reaching over to ruffle his son's chestnut hair affectionately, chuckling as he squirmed. "I'll always love her, no matter what, ok champ?"

* * *

The doorbell rang, just as Alex and Jacob were watching the X Files movie. Alex jumped up to answer it, keeping one eye trained on the TV, swinging the door open to see Norma standing there.

"Oh. Hi." He spluttered, checking his watch. "God, I'm sorry. We lost track of time."

She smiled at him, and he faltered for a second, forgetting how it could feel to have her smile at him.

"No problem." She said brightly, leaning to the side a little to look past him to the living room. "You about ready to go, honey?"

"Mom!" Jacob whined. "We're right in the middle of the movie."

"The movie can wait, buddy. Come on. Get your stuff." Alex said sternly, and the boy sighed, slamming his bowl of popcorn onto the side table, starting to get up.

"Well, wait-" She held up a hand. "I mean... I can come back? It's ok."

"No, no-" Alex started.

"Jacob, sweetie?" She leaned past Alex to call out. "How long is left on your movie?"

He pressed a couple of buttons, revealing the progress bar at the bottom of the screen.

"49 minutes, mom."

"Ok, so I'll just come back in 49 minutes then I guess?" She shrugged casually, starting to turn away.

Alex opened his mouth to speak. It was a 15 minute drive across town at this time of day. By the time she got home, it would time to come back, but he felt strangely awkward about asking her to stay. They were amicable, friendly even, always keeping things polite and cordial for the sake of their son, but they didn't really spend alot of time together these days. Not since...

Jacob suddenly appeared in the doorway, sliding past Alex and reaching for his mother's hand.

"Mom, wait! Stay and watch it with us!"

"Oh, well..." She looked reluctant, glancing uncertainly at Alex. He smiled nervously, nodding a little at her.

"Yeah, you should stay. I made popcorn for 20 people."

"Yay!" Jacob tugged on her hand, pulling her into Alex's house, dragging her towards the couch.

"Ok, so introduce me to this Dana Scully you keep telling me about..." She said sweetly, letting her son settle her down in a prime viewing spot, gallantly putting on an interested face at the sci-fi movie she would no doubt hate.

Alex smiled, shutting the door softly and returning to find a spot being left for him right in the middle of the couch, right between his son and the woman he would always love.

He managed to sit down without brushing against her at all, sliding down between them, noting the way she was sat primly, her hands neatly crossed on her knees, her eyes fixed on the screen like she was already a converted fan.

"And that's Fox Mulder. He's really cool. He believes in aliens and he hates the government but I don't really get why."

Norma laughed, turning to see Jacob climbing up on his knees, leaning on Alex to talk to her about Fox Mulder. Alex lifted his arm up, wrapping it naturally around his son, training his eyes on the screen as Jacob talked across him, not noticing the way Norma's eyes softened. She rarely got a chance to see the two of them together, and it made her heart ache to see Jacob lean into his father, looking tiny with Alex's arm wrapped around him.

"And Fox is a stupid name, but he doesn't let anyone call him Fox, not even Scully. And he LOVES Scully." Jacob explained knowingly, settling back down in his seat.

"Is that right?" Norma said quietly, turning her attention back to the screen. "Looks like they hate each other." She observed mildly, as the characters on the screen argued.

Alex's lips quirked in a small smile, but said nothing, watching as the characters' argument changed tone, gazing into each other's eyes suddenly.

 _"You kept me honest. You made me a whole person."_ Mulder was saying, and Alex watched in his peripheral as Norma shifted a little in her seat.

 _"I owe you everything, Scully. And you owe me nothing."_

Jacob sighed happily, leaning forwards a little, and Norma couldn't help but raise her eyebrows, smiling across at him. She caught Alex's eye, both of them smirking at the little romantic they were apparently raising.

 _"I don't know if I wanna do this alone... I don't even know if I can."_ The words from the screen struck them both, and both of them sucked in a sharp breath, the sentiment resonating a little too close to home for them both. There had definitely been days, when Jacob was younger, when they'd both felt like that.

Norma cleared her throat, her mouth suddenly dry, as the two characters on the screen leaned in, their lips hovering millimetres apart. She glanced at him, catching him doing the same, his mouth falling open like he was going to speak when there was a sudden gasp from the screen, drawing their attention back to the movie, and their disappointed son letting out a groan from next to them.

"Oh what?" He complained, and Norma nervously cleared her throat again, her and Alex grinning and looking away from each other like they were shy teens, not adults who had a child together. He felt her shift her weight subtly away from him, leaning on the arm of the sofa, slightly pulling her thigh away, and he found he already missed the heat from her body, already growing used to it again.

They watched the rest of the movie in a tense, uncomfortable silence, the innocently clueless Jacob occasionally explaining a plot point to his mother like she could have followed it anyway. They were glad when it finished, with Norma jumping up the moment the credits started, holding out Jacob's little coat for him.

"Ok, come on honey. I gotta start dinner." She said impatiently, as Jacob stood up, obediently putting his coat on and waiting as Norma kneeled down to securely fasten all of the toggles.

"Did you like it, mom?" He asked excitedly.

"Yeah... Course I did." She murmured unconvincingly as she grabbed her bag and pulled her own coat on, rushing to leave.

"Yay!" He breathed out softly, running and getting his dinosaur rucksack. "More than Casablanca?" He shouted over his shoulder, and Alex and Norma made eye contact, sharing a small smile at the memory of watching it together all those years before. Before everything changed. Their smiles faded.

"Maybe not that much?" She ruffled his hair. "You ready to go?"

He nodded, turning to his father and holding his hands out. Alex knelt down, throwing his arms around him, pretending not to notice how Norma was affected by it.

"Bye kiddo. I'll see you on thursday, ok?" Jacob's face lit up as he nodded, pulling back and bounding down the steps to the car.

"Bye dad!" He yelled over his shoulder, as Norma hesitated at the door.

"I guess I'll see you at the game then?"

"Er yeah..." Alex stuck his hands in his pockets, nodding, casting his gaze to the floor.

"Can you believe it?" Norma piped up suddenly, casting a glance over her shoulder to where Jacob was getting himself into the car. "His first pee wee game?"

Alex smiled warmly at her, shaking his head.

"I know. He was only a baby yesterday." He said gently, with an uncharacteristic sense of nostalgia. He looked up to find her gazing at him, her eyes suddenly wide and sad, and she took a breath like she was going to say something, but then thought better of it.

"I'll see you thursday then." She nodded politely at him, starting to turn away. "I'll be the one with the six foot long banner saying " _Go Jacob_ "." She giggled, and he chuckled at her.

"That's good. I can leave mine at home then." He quipped back, nodding at her as she smiled over her shoulder, before turning and walking away, leaving him in his empty little house for another long week.

* * *

 **So this is the first chapter of what will probably end up being about 11 in total. And I'll be updating one chapter a week to give myself time to catch up to myself, writing-wise.**

 **Lemme know what you think. I'm sorry I've been so useless about replying to all your reviews. I DO read them and I love them all. I really appreciate every review, or retweet, or any comment I get - Sorry I've been a bit useless about replying recently. xxx**


	2. 2014

**2014**

Norma hadn't been herself for days now and Alex was getting worried.

It had started last week, when he had casually answered his phone, jumping a little when she immediately started yelling at him.

"Alex!"

"What? What is it? What's wrong?" He had panicked, instinctively grabbing his keys, ready to go to her.

"Why didn't you wake me?" She whined, and he sat back heavily in his office chair, frowning in confusion.

"What?"

"I JUST woke up! Why didn't you wake me?" He checked his watch. It was a little after 10:30am, which was basically mid-afternoon on Norma time.

"Did you turn off my alarm?" She grumbled, and he could hear her stomping around the bedroom as she talked, chuckling a little at the image.

"Why would I do that?" He queried, placing his pen down.

There was a silence, and he could hear shuffling and quiet grumbling.

"Did I sleep through my alarm?" She muttered, mostly to herself, and he could hear her tapping her old fashioned little alarm clock.

"You must have been tired?" He offered and she tutted down the phone at him.

"Fine." She snapped, like this was still all somehow his fault. "Have a good day."

And then she hung up, and he spent the rest of the day feeling like he was going to be in trouble when he got home.

He wasn't.

"Hi honey!" She had trilled when he tentatively tiptoed into the house later that night, throwing her arms around him and pulling him down for a searing kiss.

"Er hi?" He'd said eventually, when she'd finally let him come up for air, cocking his head like this was some kind of trick.

"How was work?" She asked sweetly, stroking her hands up and down his biceps distractedly.

"Erm... good. Good." He nodded, while she slid her hands under his jacket, pushing it off his shoulders to drop heavily to the floor behind him. She smiled wickedly at him.

"What ya doing?" He questioned, grinning down at her while she hooked her hands under her skirt, sliding her underwear down her legs all of a sudden, never breaking eyecontact with him. His mouth dropped open as he watched her, glancing around the hallway like he couldn't quite believe this was happening.

"What does it look like?" She whispered seductively, flicking her panties behind her with her little kitten heeled foot.

She reached for him, scrabbling to undo his belt while he reached up on her tip toes to kiss him again, nipping at his lip.

"Bedroom?" He choked out against her mouth, as she slid her hand into his pants, grasping him firmly, her other hand cupping the side of his face.

"No. Here." She panted out desperately, walking back a little. He followed her, speeding up the last step, his hands finding her waist as he pushed her up against the wall behind her, pressing himself against her.

Norma Bates was no prude, but he generally knew she was rather traditional. There'd been a couple of gentle trysts on the couch, halfway through the spaghetti westerns he'd tried to make her watch, and they'd once made it down to Room 11, playfully pretending they were them before they were married, but generally, he knew Norma liked to make love in a bed. So he could barely believe his luck when she rubbed herself against him wantonly, her arms winding around his neck, kissing him like a woman possessed.

His hands slid from her waist up to her breasts, cupping them through her shirt, squeezing and massaging, and she tensed a little, sucking in a sharp breath. He pulled back, opening his mouth to ask if she was ok, but she lunged forwards again, capturing his lips again, not giving him chance to come up for air. He span them 45 degrees suddenly, pressing her against the edge of the sturdy chest of drawers behind her, before sliding his hands under her armpits, lifting her up, depositing her on the polished wooden surface.

Her legs immediately wrapped around him, her lips never slowing their fevered pace, her hands clawing at his shirt for a minute before they slid down, grabbing for his belt again, tugging the ends to pull him closer.

"Slow down." He muttered against her lips, trying to regain control, slowing their pace, kissing delicately along her jawline, his hands gently covering hers, stopping them. She tugged her hands from his grip, lunging forwards to capture his ear lobe between her teeth, nipping lightly.

"No." She whispered defiantly in his ear, before attacking his pants again with a renewed determination. He shook his head in astonishment at her, chuckling to himself as she fumbled to get his fly down, kissing and nipping at his neck the whole time, his own hands simply held out to the side, letting her.

"What's gotten into you?" He whispered incredulously, as she triumphantly managed to manoeuvre his pants and boxers down his legs with her hands and feet, hooking her toes into them to push them down.

"I've been thinking about this all day..." She murmured with a little shrug, like that answered his question at all, and he laughed, the sound dying in his throat as her little hand wrapped around him, stroking him teasingly.

"Are you drunk?" He managed to choke out and she giggled, shaking her head and leaning up to lick the side of his throat.

His eyes fluttered closed as she kissed his neck, and he felt her shuffle forwards to the edge of the surface, using her legs to pull him a little closer.

"Wait..." He murmured halfheartedly, as she tugged her skirt back up, pushing it up around her waist, leaning back a little. She tutted at him, grabbing his hand and pressing it between her legs, kissing him hard again, letting him feel how ready for him she was, as her foot rubbed up and down his back.

His fragile grip on his resolve broke and he gave up on holding back, letting himself oblige Norma's strangely desperate behaviour, his hands suddenly flying to her lower back, sliding her forwards to the very edge of the surface. There was a moment of fumbling as they realised the dresser was just a inch or two too low, their heights not quite matching up, and he had to bend his knees a little before it was resolved, and he found his way inside of her with a shared hiss.

"Ah." She let out a shrill squeak and he stilled for a second, giving her a moment while he pressed soft kisses against her cheek, down her throat. She wriggled a little, and he took it as his cue, his hands holding onto her back as he started up a slow, deep pattern, feeling her legs come up to wrap tightly around his waist.

"God..." She breathed out against his cheek, squirming more insistently against him, and he obliged her, speeding up a little, hissing at the feel of her sharp kitten heels digging in to his back, urging him on. Her hand shot out to steady herself as she leaned back, and he followed her, leaning over her, his hips snapping back and forth, the antique oak groaning under their weight.

Her free hand clutched hard at the back of his shirt, roughly grabbing at a handful of fabric as she rutted frantically against him, her mouth dropping open. He kissed her suddenly, swallowing her breathy moans, flinching as he felt her nails dig in to his skin, even through the fabric of his shirt.

"Alex..." She panted out brokenly, his name sounding like a sob on her lips, and he pulled back a little, just as she threw her head back, quieting for a second before she came suddenly. She flopped forwards, letting out a ragged scream against his shoulder, her entire body tightening around him, her thighs squeezing into his waist, her fingers clutching hard at his back.

"Jesus." He murmured, half in surprise. He'd never had any problems bringing Norma pleasure, always putting her satisfaction first, always quietly confident in his skills in the bedroom, but that had been quick even for them. He felt like they'd barely begun, but he wasn't going to complain, as he stilled his hips, giving her a moment to catch her breath, nuzzling his nose into her hair. It was only once he stopped moving that he realised how much his knees were aching from being bent for so long, and he took the opportunity to scoop her up into his arms, straightening his protesting limbs, turning to his left and pressing her up against the wall.

She grunted as her back hit the wall, clinging to him as he drove her up against the wall a few more times with a series of erratic thrusts. It didn't take long before he was following her over the edge, enjoying the soft moans and sighs she let out as he found his release inside her still sensitised body, finishing with a shuddering groan and a teasing nip of her collarbone.

There was silence in the hallway for a moment, only the sounds of their mingled ragged breathing, before he pulled back, smiling breathlessly at her.

"I made pot roast for dinner." She announced happily, like nothing had just happened, and he laughed, kissing her temple tenderly, feeling his body protesting at still holding up her slight weight for this amount of time.

"Great. I love pot roast."

"Yay." She breathed out, like a little kid and he grinned at her, lowering her to her feet and taking a step back, shuffling awkwardly to pull up his pants, turning away in a slightly shy move.

It was only as he turned back that he noticed her standing perfectly still, a small frown on her face, her eyes still firmly closed.

"Honey?" He asked tentatively, zipping up his fly and frowning at her, his face etched with worry.

Her eyes fluttered open, and she rearranged her face into a smile, before her trembling legs went out from under her and he rushed forwards, wrapping his arms around her. For a second, he was insanely proud of himself, feeling her body trembling in his arms, his ego swelling, but then he glanced down at her pale face, and his smile faded as quickly as it had arrived.

"Norma? You ok?" He murmured, holding her against him, watching as she gulped, taking a few short, sharp breaths.

"I'm fine." She breathed out, squeezing her eyes closed for a second, holding onto his shoulders for support.

"I'm just weak at the knees, Sheriff." She joked weakly, pressing the back of her hand against her forehead, pretending to swoon, before her smile faded and she breathed out a little sigh.

"I just... I just feel a little dizzy." She said gently, when his concerned expression didn't soften at her little joke. "I'm fine."

"Are you sick?" He queried, tipping his head back to scrutinise her, his eyes darting worriedly over her face. She regained her breath a little bit, tapping his arms for him to release her, shaking her head immediately.

"No... I'm just a little tired." He still didn't look convinced. "Alex, seriously. I'm ok." She insisted, though his face was wracked with guilt. His hands slid down her arms, wrapping around her back gently, pulling her to him.

"I'm sorry-" He started, jerking his head to the dresser behind her, frowning unhappily. He never would have touched her if he'd known she wasn't feeling well.

He screwed up her face in confusion for a moment before realising what he was getting at.

"Oh shush." She interjected, leaning up and pressing a soft kiss against his lips. His guilty expression didn't go away though and so she kissed him again. And again. Peppering his face with soft little kisses until his expression softened. "I just didn't eat properly today." She explained.

She was cut off as he suddenly swept her off her feet, making her squeal and giggle.

"Well, we better get some pot roast in you then." He said, as she giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck, allowing him to carry her into the kitchen.

* * *

Two days later he came home from work to find her asleep on the couch, fully dressed, with Casablanca playing on their huge flatscreen TV. He silently pressed the back of his fingers against the cup of fragrant earl grey sat on the table next to her, finding it ice cold to the touch. He watched for a moment as Ingrid and Humphrey bade each other a tearful farewell, before reaching for the remote, sliding it from her hands and clicking the television off. She stirred, her eyes fluttering open, groaning softly as she stretched.

"No, no." He murmured quietly, brushing the backs of his fingers against her cheek. "Sleep." He implored, but she ignored him, pushing herself to sit up.

"Oh- I fell asleep." She said unnecessarily, looking around the room with sleepy confusion, blinking a few times.

"Apparently so." He said, smiling at her, sitting himself down. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine." She said automatically, before she sagged under his unrelenting gaze. "I still feel a bit under the weather." She admitted finally, before stifling a little yawn. "Nothing to worry about." She trilled, rising to her feet, and he followed her, rising next to her and turning her gently by her shoulders.

"Stop it. Sit." He said quietly, pushing her down, his concern growing when she allowed him to do so, not resisting at all. She sagged back down onto the couch, flopping back and pressing her hand against her forehead.

"Hey." He started, squeezing her knee. "Let's get takeout tonight. I'll go pick something up?" He offered, his unease increasing as she nodded weakly. She never agreed to his suggestion to get takeout food. She prided herself on cooking a homemade meal for him every night, never wanting to indulge in taking a night off from it, so he felt the first swell of panic when she agreed with him tonight.

"What do you want me to get?" He asked, watching as her eyes closed and she puffed out an unsteady breath, her hand still flopped over her forehead.

"I don't care, Alex." She murmured, and he sighed, getting up off the couch and grabbing his keys, stopping in his tracks as she yelled something from the living room.

"Meatballs." She muttered, in a put-on pathetically small voice. He chuckled, swinging back into the room to see her pouting adorably at him. "I want meatballs." She demanded, and he laughed, pleased to let her milk this, since she never let him do anything for her normally.

"Coming right up."

"And rootbeer!" She yelled, just as he was going out of the door, and he laughed, knowing he'd get her anything she asked for.

* * *

Alex awoke the next day to Norma kicking her foot into his thigh. She groaned in her sleep, tossing her head to the side, flicking her curls into his face. He pushed himself up on his hands to gaze at her for a second, half watching her sleep, half trying to gauge if she was having a nightmare.

She moaned, wriggling again, a little furrow appearing in her forehead and he made his decision, reaching for her, his hands freezing as she let out another softer moan.

"Alex..." She whispered, her cheek nuzzling into the pillow, her legs tangling in the sheets and he raised a single eyebrow, watching as her hand lazily swept across her collarbone, a small smirk crossing his face as she sucked her lip into her mouth. Apparently this was no nightmare, and he sat up a little further, wrestling with the temptation to just sit and watch her, as her chest heaved and she licked her lips in her sleep.

She sighed again, her head dropping to the side, and he glanced at the clock, reluctant to wake her, but not wanting to risk another angry "Why didn't you wake me?" conversation.

"Norma?" He said gently, leaning over her to grasp her shoulder, giving her a little shake. "Honey?"

Her eyes snapped open and she gazed up at him, a small smile spreading over her face as she stretched her legs out lazily.

"Hey." She croaked out, her hand coming up to brush through his hair, her eyes still soft and sleepy as she looked at him. "I had the best dream."

He grinned at her, leaning down to brush his nose against hers.

"Yeah, I heard."

She flushed pink, biting her lip, before craning her head up, crushing her lips sloppily against his, her hands flying to his shoulders, pulling him down on top of her. With the element of surprise, she caught him off guard, wrapping her legs around him, rolling him on top of her, swiping her tongue into his mouth.

He resisted for half a second, before kissing her back, settling himself between her thighs as they dropped open. He had no idea where his wife's new insatiable appetite had come from but he wasn't hating it, letting his hand stroke down her side, hitching her thigh up around him as his other hand tangled in her hair.

"Norma?" He mumbled against her lips, trying to pull back a little. He resisted her attempts to pull him back down to her, pushing himself up on his hands to stare at her.

"You're really hot." He whispered and a slow smile spread across her face as she misunderstood him.

"Well thanks, you're not too bad your-"

He cut her off with a small chuckle, before he pressed his hand against her forehead.

"No, really. You're really warm." He frowned at her, his eyes darting around her face, taking in her pallor, and the slight sheen of sweat on her forehead.

"What? No no." She muttered, sliding her hands to the back of his neck, trying to tug his lips down to meet hers again. He resisted her surprising strength, jerking his head out of her grasp and pulling away from her.

"I'm gonna make you some tea..." He said, reluctantly leaving the heat of her body, tucking the sheet around her as she pouted like a petulant child.

"I feel fine." She protested, even as she sat up, gulping and taking a deep breath.

He came back a few minutes later, carefully carrying the steaming mug of earl grey up the stairs, strolling back into the bedroom just in time to hear Norma coughing and spluttering in their bathroom. Dropping the cup down on their bedside table, he sprinted through the open door, skidding to a halt as he took in Norma weakly reaching up to flush the toilet, her legs splayed out to the side, looking tiny as she flopped her head back against the tiled wall.

"No, no. Don't come in." She muttered, wiping her mouth on the back of her hand, groaning as he ignored her, rushing over to dampen a washcloth, crouching next to her and pressing it tenderly against her forehead.

"I told you you were getting sick." He said quietly, and she rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. You were right. For once. Don't get used to it." She joked, letting him brush the hair out of her eyes.

"You want me to stay home today-?" She cut him off, shaking her head defiantly.

"No. Don't be silly. It's just a bug." He looked sceptical.

"Really! I'll be fine. Go!" She demanded firmly.

He looked crestfallen that he wasn't going to be allowed to take care of her, and her expression softened a little, sliding one hand around his neck, and batting her eyelashes at him cutely.

"Alex?" She murmured in her little girl voice. "Carry me back to bed?"

He beamed at her, scooping her up, carrying her back to bed, tucking her in and flitting around her for the rest of the morning, pretending he wasn't late for work as he set her up for the day.

"Promise me you'll call me if you need me?"

"It's a bug, Alex... Stop being so dramatic." He stared at her and she rolled her eyes. "But yes, I have my phone right here."

"And you'll go to the doctor's if you don't feel better tomorrow?"

She flopped back dramatically onto the pillows, puffing out an exasperated sigh.

"You're the most annoying man I've ever met."

"Love you too." He whispered, pressing a lingering kiss against her forehead before leaving her.

She smiled, watching him go, rubbing her thumb over her bottom lip. As much as she pretended to be irked by his fussing over her, she secretly loved it, not used to a man treating her so delicately. She'd never been treated like this, never been fussed over and mollycoddled, and tucked up like a child, with soft kisses and even softer words. She yawned, laying back on the pillows, falling back to sleep with a small smile on her face.

* * *

"Norma?" Alex called out when he got home, gazing expectantly up the stairs, jumping at a small sound from the kitchen.

"I'm in here, Alex." She yelled back, and he frowned, making his way to the kitchen and leaning against the door frame, watching her for a moment as she stirred a pot of something on the stove.

"What are you doing out of bed?" He questioned teasingly, raising his eyebrows when she didn't turn around or glance at him at all.

"Oh. Erm... Well, I couldn't stay in bed all day." She said, her voice sounding strange as she turned to the oven, taking a pie out and placing it on the counter, her movements tense and stiff.

"Did you make a pie?" He queried, stalking over to her, watching as she stirred something that smelled amazing on the stove again.

"I made two pies. Because I made apple pie, but then I wasn't sure if you liked apple pie, so I made cherry pie aswell." She rambled, her tone tight and shrill, gesturing to the second pie cooling on the baking rack. "And I made chilli cause I know it's your favourite-"

She was cut off as he came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her and resting his head on her shoulder.

"Is it my birthday?" He asked and she laughed a short, nervous laugh, wriggling from his grip and turning to grab a spoon from the counter. He frowned at the back of her head, walking over to her and grabbing her elbow, turning her to face him.

"So you're feeling better, then?" He asked dubiously, trying to get her to meet his gaze. She stared at his chest, nodding.

"Mm hm!" She said brightly.

"Good." He leaned forwards, pressing a soft kiss against her lips, sliding his hands over her hips, resting them on the small of her back as his lips trailed from the corner of her mouth down to her jaw.

"Alex..." She said hesitantly, her hands coming up to his chest, pushing him away a little. He kept his hands on her waist, pulling back, his eyes darting all over her face, taking in her face properly. Her eyes looked a little red, and she sniffled, leaning back against the counter, still avoiding his gaze.

"I... erm... I went to the doctor." She said finally, and he breathed out the breath he didn't know he'd been holding, his eyebrows shooting up.

There was a long silence, where he just blinked slowly, his face blank as his mind flitted through worst case scenarios. She eventually looked at him, her eyes wide and watery and unsure, biting her lip into her mouth for a second.

"I'm pregnant." She whispered, so quietly that, for a second, he wasn't sure he'd heard her right.

"What?" His palms suddenly felt very sweaty where they were still pressed against her hips.

She gulped, starting to ramble suddenly, her hand nervously rubbing her elbow as she spoke.

"After you left, I slept a while, and then I felt so sick when I woke up. And I tried to go down to open the motel, but I felt really dizzy, and I was gonna call you, but I didn't want you to worry, so I just took myself to the doctor's and-"

"I thought..." He interrupted her, his face entirely blank. She briefly wondered if he was slipping into shock. "I thought you were on-"

"I am! I am, I swear." She said hurriedly, sounding panicked. Her bottom lip trembled. "But..." Her voice dropped to a whisper, and she scrubbed her fingers under her watery eyes. "Well... there's been so much going on lately? Sometimes... I forget to take it."

She looked down guiltily, before continuing.

"But I swear... I never thought- I mean... I haven't done this on purpose. I wasn't trying to trap you or anything. I know that this wasn't what you-"

"Shut up, Norma." He said quietly, breathing out an incredulous laugh at the floor. She stopped talking, wrapping her arm more firmly round herself, sniffling quietly.

There was a silence that seemed to stretch on forever, before he looked back up at her, his eyes shining, a confused expression on his face.

"Did you really think I'd be mad about this?" He questioned softly, sounding broken at the very thought, and she shrugged, a single tear slipping down her face.

"I don't know. I didn't know what you'd thi-"

He leaned forwards, cutting her off, kissing the tear from her cheek, before dropping to his knees in front of her suddenly. She gasped at the unexpected action, as his hands slid over her stomach, and he pressed a soft kiss against her abdomen, glancing up at her happily.

She smiled tearfully down at him, her hand cupping his face as he rose back up to his feet.

"Oh my god." He murmured quietly, shaking his head, beaming at her, before he wrapped his arms around her, picking her up off her feet and spinning her around. "Oh my god!" He said a little louder, as she giggled into his ear.

"I might throw up on you." She murmured happily and he stilled, depositing her back onto her feet, before ushering her towards one of the chairs around the kitchen table, making her sit down.

He crouched next to her, his eyes darting all over her like he couldn't quite take it all in.

"Are you ok? Like, is everything ok?" He asked suddenly, his face suddenly filled with concern, and she nodded, lacing her fingers through his.

"Mm hmm. I just have to take it easy."

He glanced around the kitchen.

"And you responded to that advice by making chilli and two pies?" He said disbelievingly, a small smile playing on his lips.

She shrugged like it was no big deal, wiping the earlier tears from her face and smiling sadly up at him.

"No-one's ever been happy that I was pregnant before?" She said casually, not able to hear his heart breaking for her over the sound of the chilli bubbling away behind him.

"Not my mom, or John... or Sam." She trailed off, shuddering slightly, and he didn't dare imagine how Sam had reacted to the news of another mouth to feed.

"I wanted to make your favourites in case... In case you weren't happy about it?" She shrugged again, casting her eyes down, missing the look of dismayed anguish that crossed his face at her words.

He rose to his feet, scooping her up suddenly and spinning, sitting himself down in the chair and draping her across his lap, keeping on hand wrapped around her back, the other drifting to press against her abdomen, smiling at the little life she was incubating in there, trying to wrap his head around it.

"I'm happy." He said seriously, gazing into her eyes. His hand swept up her chest, coming to rest on her cheek, pulling her in to kiss her, pouring all his joy and gratitude into it, before pulling back, sharing a grin with her. "In fact, this might be the happiest I've ever been."


	3. 2020 - Soccer

"Hi." He breathed out, grinning at the sight of Norma Bates at the edge of a soccer field. She turned, smiling a beaming smile at him, and he looked her up and down, shaking his head at her appearance. She'd never looked so out of place, wearing what she must have thought were practical shoes, little ballet flats, now caked in mud. Little flecks of mud where splattered over her bare ankles, and she was wearing a long aubergine coloured coat, with grey fur trim pulled up around her face. She stood out like a sore thumb compared to all these other soccer moms, wearing sensible jeans and yellow windbreakers with messy buns and worn out sneakers.

"Alex! Hi!" She sounded pleased to see him, and he tried to remember the last time she had sounded genuinely happy to see him. It had been a while. He leaned forwards automatically, and she floundered for a second, before realising he was going for a peck on the cheek.

"Oh." She murmured, awkwardly pecking him back, and he cringed, not entirely sure why he'd thought that was an appropriate greeting, shoving his hands in his pockets nervously as he pulled back, glancing around the field.

"That was weird." She said suddenly and he laughed quietly. She wouldn't be the Norma Bates he knew and loved if she'd just let it go.

"Yeah..." He started noncommittally. "Just got caught up in the excitement of the game."

She nodded, turning back to the field, both of them waving back as Jacob waved enthusiastically at them.

"God, look at some of these kids." She said, her tone worried. "I mean, look at that kid, there's no way he's under 7."

"You want me to go and card him?" He joked, pleased when she giggled, her concerned expression smoothing out a little.

"Look how small he looks though." She added, waving at Jacob again, biting her lip worriedly. Jacob was no smaller than any of the other boys warming up on the field, but he knew she was looking at him with a mother's eye.

"He'll be fine." He assured her. "I mean... look who his parents are. He's a tough kid."

She preened a little at his words, trying not to smile, loving that he thought she was tough.

"True." She conceded.

"Norma. Hi." A man appeared suddenly by her side, speaking smoothly, leaning in to kiss her cheek with more grace than Alex had managed. She smiled tightly, pecking him back and casting an awkward glance at Alex. Alex instantly felt underdressed, glancing down at his jeans/t shirt/leather jacket combo, and then back at the man's impeccable long black coat, worn over a suit and tie.

"Sheriff. Good to see you." He held out a hand to Alex, who floundered for a moment. "George. George Heldens. I think we maybe met before?"

Alex had a sudden moment of realisation, remembering Norma wearing a baby pink dress, looking like a little porcelain doll come to life. He remembered rounding that corner of the corridor in the station, both his and Norman's faces falling at the sight of George Helden's hands starkly contrasting against the marshmallow pink of her dress, as he wrapped his arms around her back. He was never sure what had happened between them, since Alex had married her not that long after and he hadn't cared about the men of her past. He was the man of her present. But that was a long time ago now.

He realised too long had passed and shook himself, taking George's outstretched hand, shaking it firmly.

"Oh. Hi." He said casually, immediately turning away, turning his attention back to the impending game.

"Norma. You look great." He said gently, and Alex glanced at her, seeing her blush, her eyes darting nervously to Alex. "Glad to see you've haven't let yourself go like some of the other soccer moms." He lowered his tone, glancing conspicuously to some of the drabber, dumpier women standing at the edge of the pitch, and then back to the always-impeccably presented Norma.

Alex hated that he'd had the exact same thought just a few moments earlier, but it sounded much more cruel and judgemental coming out of George's mouth, and he chanced a glance at Norma, noticing her frowning at the ground. Alex was pleased she didn't approve, suppressing a smile.

"What brings you to the under 7s pee wee game this sunny thursday, George?" She said, her tone just toeing the line of flirty and Alex sniffed, turning away, half wondering if she wasn't just trying to make him jealous.

"My nephew." He jerked his head to the tall boy Norma had worriedly pointed out earlier. "James."

"Oh that's right." She nodded politely. "Christine's kid." She cleared her throat, suddenly glancing around nervously. It had been years since their petty fight, since Norma had broken George's heart, and though George was now polite and civil, Christine never seemed to get over her grudge against Norma.

"How is Christine?" She asked politely. "Is she coming today?"

"Christine? Oh no." He laughed at the thought, and Norma breathed a sigh of relief. "This isn't really her sort of thing." He gestured broadly at the cold air around them, and the scores of screaming children, and the general great outdoors, and Alex couldn't help but wonder what exactly Christine's "thing" might be.

Norma nodded, casting a helpless glance at Alex, the awkwardness settling over the three of them.

"Which one's yours?" George asked, and Alex jumped in, finally getting involved in the conversation though the question hadn't been addressed to him.

"Number 11. Jacob."

George squinted at the group of children on the field.

"Huh. Small kid." He commented quietly. "But small can be good. Fast." He added patronisingly, and Alex glared at him.

"He's on the opposition." George observed, noting Jacob's blue jersey, and James' red one. "Can't root for him unfortunately." He joked, holding his hands up like he was sorry about it.

"Well... they just play for fun." Norma pointed out, her tone sharp. "No-one keeps score."

George leaned in close, as if sharing some big secret.

"Yes we do." He said in a stage whisper. His eyes flicked to Alex for a second. "There's always a winner and a loser, isn't there?"

His hand ghosted over Norma's back, and without thinking, she took a step away from him, closer to Alex, and Alex watched as George's smug smile faded just a little.

"Well, if you'll excuse me-" He murmured, clearing his throat and looking genuinely saddened for a second, before turning away, stalking away from them.

"Nice guy." He muttered and she shot him a dark look, digging her hands into her pockets and turning her attention back to the game.

Alex felt the tension radiating off her body as they kicked off, as if they were watching the World Cup, not a bunch of tiny children play an adorably inept game of soccer. She gasped anytime anyone kicked the ball further than 3 feet away from them, which wasn't very often, as the co-ordination skills of a bunch of under 7 year olds was questionable at best, but Norma didn't see it like that.

"That kid nearly hit him!" She hissed at one point, as a small blonde boy came too close to their son and he chuckled, earning himself a glare.

"Norma. He's fine." He assured her gently, rubbing the back of her arm, before snatching his hand back, realising he didn't get to touch her anymore.

He chewed her thumb anxiously, watching as George's nephew tackled Jacob, their feet entangling, both of them tripping and sliding in the mud for a moment.

"Hey!" She yelled out, both her and Alex taking a step forwards. "Foul! Or red card or..." She trailed off, glancing helplessly at Alex, was feeling a pang of fatherly concern himself. The whistle blew and both boys quickly righted themselves, completely unfazed by the incident, jogging back up the pitch. Neither Norma or Alex realised her hand had shot out to grab his elbow until they both glanced down, Norma releasing him and pulling her hand back, shooting him an apologetic smile.

"Sorry-" She started, and he didn't trust himself to speak, merely holding a hand up, letting her know it was ok. It was more than ok.

"It's funny isn't it?" She began, sniffling a little in the cold air, crossing her hands across her body. "Me and you."

He sucked in a long breath, raising his eyebrows and nodding, not entirely sure where this conversation was going.

She dragged her eyes away from where they were fixed on their son for a split second, shooting him an unreadable look before looking away again hurriedly.

"I mean... that we're here. Like this."

He wasn't sure exactly what she meant, and as he looked at her, taking in the way she was biting her lip, looking uncomfortable, he wasn't sure she knew exactly what she was trying to say either.

"Yeah..." He said hesitantly. "Alot has changed." He added vaguely, and she nodded.

"I..." She began, her tone soft, before she was cut off as George suddenly appeared by her side again.

"Wow. What a game, huh?" He said enthusiastically. "Shame about Jake's team, huh?"

"I don't know what you mean." She said haughtily, shaking her hair out of her eyes. "No-one keeps score."

George looked over her head at Alex, looking for confirmation, and Alex tried his best to keep his gaze impassive, pretending he hadn't been counting the goals himself.

A polite wave from the other side of the field caught his eye as he noticed his young deputy smiling and waving at him, remembering him mentioning that he'd be at the game cheering on his nephew. He wasn't particularly friendly with the man, but he was glad for the excuse to leave George Heldens, finding himself instantly taking a dislike to the man.

"Excuse me a moment."

He didn't notice Norma's needy glance as he left her alone with George, excusing himself to go and make polite small talk on the other side of the field, studiously keeping his eyes on the game, not glancing at where Norma and George were standing too close together.

"You look beautiful, Norma." He whispered, leaning in too close for comfort.

"George..." She started, her voice a pleading whine for him not to go there, before there was a small gasp from the crowds around them and all three of them turned back to see James Heldens ram his elbow into Jacob's ribs, sending the smaller boy sprawling into the mud, making both Norma and Alex start forwards.

"Hey!" Norma screamed, starting to run forwards, cut off as George wrapped an arm around her middle, pulling her back. "Jacob!"

"Heyheyhey. Wait- Wait!" He muttered, ignoring her struggling to get to her son. He held her for a moment, her feet slipping in the mud as she fought to free herself and they watched as Jacob got up, completely unharmed, laughing and clapping James on the arm cordially.

"Lemme go, George." She murmured darkly, her hands pushing ineffectually at where his arms were still wrapped around her middle, and he loosened his grip a little, still keeping his hands on her though, his chest pressed against her back.

"See! I knew they'd be fine." He said brightly. "Boys will be boys."

She sighed with irritation. She hated that expression - Her whole life had been spent excusing the behaviour of men using the phrase "boys will be boys" and she was determined that her son would not be raised with that mentality.

"Actually George-" She cut herself off, stopping what she was going to say to push weakly at his hands, groaning as they remained clamped firmly against her hips. "George, lemme go-" She squirmed a little, and he did no such thing, stepping closer to her, nuzzling his nose against her hair.

"I suggest you take your hands off my wife." Alex sprung up out of nowhere, his voice low and dark, and George immediately dropped his hands, turning and fixing Alex with a challenging glare.

"I don't think she's your wife anymore Sheriff?" He pointed out, his tone pitying as he took a step around her to rise up to his full height. "And she hasn't been for a long time."

Alex bit the inside of his cheek, the muscle in his jaw tightening, wanting to correct him but not daring to embarrass Norma. The word "wife" had slipped out without thinking, a knee jerk reaction to seeing the woman he loved squirming away from George's touch.

"Actually, we never divorced." Norma piped up from behind him and Alex bit down a smirk as George's mouth fell open. He span on his heel, slowly turning to face her.

"I'm technically still his wife." She added, the confidence from her tone fading a little under George's incredulous glare.

"So, you two are still married?" He flicked a finger between them and they both nodded uncomfortably.

"Technically."

He let out a cold, mirthless laugh.

"So you were still his wife when... you and me..." He trailed off, laughing bitterly again, and Alex didn't need him to finish the sentence. He flicked his eyes to Norma, who gazed back at him imploringly, her eyes wide and sad.

"Oh." George said, like he felt terrible for putting his foot in it, smirking as he turned back to Norma.

"You never change, do you Norma?" He said spitefully, before spinning on his heel and stomping away, leaving a tense silence.

"Alex-" She started, her bottom lip trembling a little, crumpling as she took in his broken expression.

"It's fine." He said tersely, holding his hand up. She owed him no explanation. After what he'd done, she didn't owe him anything. She was free to do what she wanted but he couldn't help but feel hurt.

She opened her mouth to speak again, cut off as Jacob bounded over to them, throwing himself at his mom's legs.

"Mom! Dad! Did you see me? I almost scored a goal!" He enthused, getting mud all over her coat, but she didn't care, leaning down and throwing her arms around him.

"Yeah we saw, honey!" She sniffled a little, pinning a fake smile in place as she hugged him tightly.

"You were great, kiddo!" Alex said brightly, as Jacob turned, reaching up to hug his dad. And with that, the moment was gone, and they were back to being the amicable, polite co-parents they'd been for years now, their attention focused on their child again, each taking his hand to lead him from the field.

Their eyes met briefly over his head, both them them averting their eyes as if nothing had happened while their son happily babbled away about the game.


	4. 2015

**Big thanks to DoomedSometimes for her suggestion and subsequent help with this chapter! I know nothing of small humans, because I'm very much not a "kid person" so I needed all the help I could get. Thank you!**

* * *

"I'm doing it wrong." Alex announced glumly.

"Stop." She said gently. "You're doing fine."

"I'm too rough. My hands are too big." He said dejectedly, over the sound of the baby screaming.

"Shut up, Alex." She said from where she was standing behind him, leaning over him, watching him closely. "They don't always like it at first."

She flinched as Jacob let out a particularly shrill scream as his foot made contact with the water.

"Is it too hot?" Alex chirped out, lifting the baby back out of the water, cradling him against his chest, the screams immediately quieting to soft whimpers.

Norma bent over with difficulty, gritting her teeth at the slight ache as her body protested the movement, scooping her hand through the lukewarm water, and shaking her head.

"It's fine. Promise." She smiled at the sight of Alex uncertainly lowering their son closer to the water again, his hands looking absurdly large as they cradled the tiny newborn. He was braver this time, ignoring the shrill screams emitting from the infant and lowering him confidently into the water, managing to take his infinitely slight weight in one hand easily, as his other hand tentatively dripped water over his belly.

"Hey, hey. Come on now." He murmured softly, scooping a handful of water over his torso, gently sweeping his hand over his son. "Shhh..." He whispered soothingly, as Jacob began to get used to the water, his screams quieting to soft cries, and then to contented gurgles.

"There we go." He said to him quietly.

"See." Norma said gently, her hand coming to rest on his shoulder as she leaned over them.

"You're a natural." He turned his gaze up to her, smiling widely like he couldn't quite believe it.

She leaned her weight on him for a moment, pressing her hand into his shoulder as she struggled down to the floor next to him, wincing and flinching as she managed to settle her weight down on her knees.

"You ok?" He asked, his voice thick with concern, glancing at Jacob a couple of times, but mostly keeping his attention on her. She nodded tightly. In truth, everything hurt. Her and Jacob had only been home from the hospital a few days, and her body still felt sore and tender after a difficult labour. Alex had been fantastic, but she still felt guilt at not being about to bounce back like she had with Norman and Dylan.

"I'll be fine." She said truthfully. She would be. She just wasn't sure when. She hissed as she resettled her weight, pretending she was fine as she knelt next to him, leaning over the side of their bathtub to smile at their son.

"Hi!" She trilled. "How's your bath, baby?" She cooed at him, collecting a handful of water and pouring it over his feet, tenderly grabbing one little toe as she did so.

"Were Norman and Dylan ever this tiny?" Alex said disbelievingly, as he washed their baby with inept, but eager-to-learn hands.

"Dylan and Norma weren't premature." She reminded him sharply. Jacob had made his arrival into the world a little sooner than expected, though he was no worse for wear for the ordeal. Norma, however felt awful, as the midwife explained it was normal for older mothers, not realising she was doing nothing to assuage Norma's guilt. The words "Don't worry - It's normal for older mothers" had become Norma's most dreaded fear during the last nine months, feeling as though she was doing her baby a disservice merely by daring to be over the age of 35. As she looked at Jacob now, perhaps a little smaller than other newborns, but still gurgling happily in his first bath, her guilt began to subside a little.

"Maybe my hands make him look smaller." He offered casually, sensing her discomfort. He knew well enough how much she hated any reminder that she hadn't been able to keep him safe inside her belly for the full nine months.

For a split second, she wanted to glare at him for patronising her, but then she glanced at him, watching as he carefully scrubbed his hand through their child's wispy hair, and she softened immediately.

"Maybe?" She conceded a little, leaning over to rest her head against his shoulder.

"He's perfect." Alex breathed out, and Norma stifled a sob, nuzzling her nose against his shirt, leaning in to take the baby's tiny hand in her own.

"He is." She agreed gently, reaching up on her knees, ignoring her body's protests to press a soft kiss against Alex's cheek.

* * *

"Honey, I'm home!" His voice rang out through the hallway, startling her awake, jolting the sleeping baby on her chest. She sat up, holding Jacob against her, sleepily nuzzling her nose against his soft baby hair, which seemed to grow thicker each day.

She frowned at the sound of Alex in the hallway, groggily checking her watch - They weren't usually still napping when he came home and she frowned at the time.

"Hey!" She called out, her voice a tired croak. "You're home early?" She started, as Alex strolled in, Emma and Dylan following behind him. She cleared her throat, her face breaking into a smile at the unexpected sight.

"Dylan! Emma! Hi!" She struggled to her feet, rearranging the baby against her chest, ambling over to press a kiss against both their cheeks. "What a lovely surprise! I haven't started dinner yet. But stay! I'll make enough for all of us."

She trailed off as they both opened their mouths uncertainly, glancing at Alex, who smiled warmly at her.

"No need." He said simply, and he started forwards, easing their son from Norma's arms, pulling him against him for a second before depositing him into Emma's needy arms.

"Hi!" She cooed softly, and Dylan smiled a tiny smile that he didn't think anyone had noticed.

"What-?" Norma started, confused.

"Dylan and Emma are going to watch Jacob tonight. Me and you are going out." He announced and she frowned, her gaze flicking from the impossibly young couple fussing over her child, to her pleased looking husband.

"Where are we going?" She asked uncertainly.

"I made us reservations. It's nice, I promise."

She sighed, her uncertain gaze flicking over to Emma, and she crossed her arms across her chest.

"I don't know. He's so little..?" She pouted a little. "And you guys have never been alone with him for a long period of time?" She cut off both Dylan and Emma as they opened their mouths to object.

"I just... Wouldn't it be nicer if I made us all something? I can whip up something in-"

"They'll be fine." Alex assured her, taking a step towards her, his hands drifting to her elbows.

"But... I'm tired, Alex." She protested weakly, and he leaned forwards to kiss her forehead tenderly.

"Come on. Table's booked for seven. Go get dressed." He commanded gently, and she puffed out a sigh.

"But..." She started.

"No buts. Get dressed."

* * *

Norma was upstairs for half an hour, stomping around in a way that made Dylan and Emma worriedly cast their gaze upwards, biting their lips, not sure what to say.

Eventually, Alex excused himself, going upstairs to check on her, sliding into their room just in time to see her tear a dress over her head, balling it up and throwing it angrily to the ground. She stood, panting in her slip for a second, before stomping back over to her closet, angrily shoving coat-hangers to the side, muttering to herself the whole time.

"What's wrong?" He murmured, and she jumped, crossing her hands across her body instinctively.

There was a pause before she spoke.

"What's wrong is that none of these stupid dresses fit me." She threw another handful of stiff black satin filled with tulle underskirts down to the ground in a rage, and a slow smile spread over his face, in spite of her anger. He secretly hoped she never lost "the last ten pounds", secretly loving the pleasant roundness it afforded her hips and ass. He'd always been an ass man, but something about the fullness of her rear was drawing his attention like never before. He found himself staring every time she left a room, like a horny teenager, not a full grown man.

"And I don't like being dictated to." She added, shaking her head haughtily, and his mouth dropped open, his salacious smile fading immediately.

"Dictated to?" He said incredulously.

"Yes Alex." She said sharply. " _Get dressed._ " She parroted his words back to him, sniffing with irritation, still rifling angrily through her wardrobe. She pulled out a flowery print jersey wrap dress, inspecting it for a moment, before nodding and throwing it onto the bed.

"I get it, ok?" She said suddenly, before he could rearrange his thoughts to answer her. "It's fine. I'll go. I'll dress up. I'll do whatever you want."

He shuddered at her words. She made it sound like it was some big chore, just going to dinner with him, her words laced with some heavy implication he couldn't quite grasp.

"Norma... If you don't wanna go, it's fine. I don't..." He trailed off, floundering under her intense glare, as she threw a pair of spindly black heels towards the head of the bed, without breaking eye-contact with him.

"This is about sex, isn't it?" She blurted out suddenly, and his mouth dropped open. From downstairs, he heard something drop to the floor, followed by the sound of the kitchen door softly pressing shut. "It's ok. I get it." She carried on before he could speak, as she retrieved a tiny little velvet purse, slamming it onto the bed and staring at him challengingly. He didn't know what to say, shaking his head, his mouth flapping open helplessly. He hadn't been expecting this.

"What? No?" He finally choked out, hearing how lame it sounded.

"I just... I just..." He started helplessly, before she cut him off.

"You just what? Thought you'd take me out - Wine me, dine me, hope that your old wife comes back?"

She sniffled suddenly, and he looked up, watching as her face crumpled, her shoulders sagging as all of the anger left her as suddenly as it had arrived. A single tear slipped down her face, and he started forwards.

"I know it's been a long time." She whispered, and he tutted, pulling her into his arms before she could stop him. A long time was a relative concept. Sometimes it felt like Jacob was only born yesterday. He'd been present at the birth - He knew the horror and the trauma her body had been through during their son's difficult birth. And he knew how tired she was. He was older too - He was just as tired as she was, insisting on taking just as many night shifts with Jacob, despite having to get up for work, determined to not be the sort of husband who used his job as an excuse to get out of doing anything for his son. Sex had been the last thing on his mind. Well, sort of. He'd found himself lusting after Norma's new shapely form, though he'd never acted on his newfound lust for her changed body.

"I'm frustrated too." She breathed out shyly into his chest. He had no idea what to say, his arms gently holding her shoulders as he let his head drop back. He hadn't expected any of this. He'd just wanted to take her to dinner.

He took a deep breath, letting his hands slide around her back, holding her gently against him.

"You gave birth to my child, Norma. You brought our beautiful son into the world. I..." His words failed him for a minute, as she breathed out a surprised gasp against his shirt, her hands tightening around him. "I'm in awe of you." He whispered honestly.

She reared her head back, gazing at him with wide watery eyes.

"I wasn't expecting anything tonight." He said sincerely, and she immediately believed him. "I just wanted to take you out, give you a night off."

He shrugged, and she sniffled a little.

"That sounds nice." She admitted, glancing up at him shyly. She stared up at him seriously for a moment. "I do want to." She added, and he shook his head immediately, making a small shushing sound.

"No, no-"

"I do! I just... I'm not ready yet." She said quietly, addressing his chest.

"That's ok." He said imploringly, nodding seriously at her, ducking his head to make her look at him, staring deeply into her eyes. "It's ok." He repeated.

"How long did you wait with the boys?" He wondered outloud, and she tensed at his words, shrugging herself out of his hands and turning towards the bed, where the pretty floral wrap dress lay waiting for her.

"We didn't." She whispered. " _They_ didn't." She corrected herself, glancing brokenly over her shoulder at him, and he realised what she meant with a start. She meant her previous husbands, and he shivered involuntarily, hating the lives she'd lived before she'd met him.

"They didn't wait." She added, her voice quivering and breaking and he jumped forwards, wrapping himself around her from behind, feeling her shaking hands come up to hold his forearms, feeling her soften and relax into his body.

"I'll wait for you forever if that's what you wanted." He said gently, pressing a soft kiss against her temple and she gasped.

"It wont be forever..." She murmured.

"I wouldn't mind if it was." He shot back immediately, pressing a line of soft kisses along her neck. "Put your dress on." He insisted gently. "I'll cancel the reservation. Let's make dinner together. Emma and Dylan can stay?"

She let out a little sob, turning around in his arms, her dress still hanging limply from her hand.

"Really?" She breathed out hopefully.

"Mm hmm." He nodded. "I'll help." He announced, and he leaned down to peck her cheek. "Our son can get his first whiff of Cuban food..."


	5. 2020 - Norma Bates calling

_Norma Bates calling._

Alex frowned, scrambling to answer his phone, panicking. He knew Dylan and Emma had Jacob with them at the zoo today - Dylan had sent him a picture of Jacob grinning ear to ear, holding a sloth that was almost as big as he was - So he stared at the phone for a moment, wondering why she would be calling him. His absurd fatherly concern kicked in and for a second, he wondered if sloths were ever known to be violent?

"Hello?" He said, trying to keep his tone casual.

"Alex?" He was immediately on the alert, sitting up at the sound of her tone, tight and tearful.

"Norma? What's the problem?"

There was a shrill squeal from the other end of the phone and he stood up, his chair falling backwards in his haste.

"Alex? Alex?! Can you come to the house?" She said fearfully, and he could hear the tears in her voice.

"What's wrong?-" He asked, grabbing his keys and heading for the door, cut off as she shrieked again and then there was a clattering sound and the phone went dead.

He froze for a split second, his mind flickering through worst case scenarios for a second. Norma... The mother of his child. He shook himself, starting to hurry out of the office.

"Regina!" He yelled, shrugging his jacket on with shaking hands, turning to find Janine sitting atop of Regina's desk, swinging her legs back and forth as the two women giggled, clearly deep in conversation. "Regina!" He snapped and she jumped, spinning on her chair to face him, both of their smiles fading as they took in his frazzled expression. Janine slid primly from where she'd been perched on the edge of Regina's desk, casting her gaze down, smoothing her too-short skirt over her thighs and tucking a blonde wave behind her ear.

"I'm going... home." He hesitated on the word home. Norma's house hadn't been his home for a long time, but he couldn't begin to explain where he was really going to the two strangely awkward women.

"Ok, boss." Regina said confidently, as Janine shuffled awkwardly like she wasn't sure where she should go.

"I might be gone for the rest of the day?" He added, frowning at them both. They both nodded formally.

"Oh and, Janine?" He started, halfway out of the door. "Try and find some kind of work to do, ok?" He yelled, and enjoyed a split second of both women looking very flustered before he was gone.

* * *

"Norma?" He called out tentatively, finding the door unlocked and swinging it open, drawing his weapon.

There was only a slight shuffle from the kitchen, and he took a step into the foyer, holding his gun up, his whole body tense.

"Norma?" He called out again, a little louder, and this time there was a scuffling sound, definitely from the kitchen.

"Alex?" Her voice sounded small and scared, but he breathed a sigh of relief. She was alive.

"Yeah." He shouted, trying to keep his tone reassuring, as he listened out for any signs of a struggle or any hint of pain in her voice, finding none. He stalked along the hall, taking the corner with a last flourish, gasping at the scene before him.

Norma was standing on one of her kitchen chairs, one wedged shoe held defensively in her hand, like a weapon, the other lying on the far side of the room. Her eyes were darting around the floor nervously, before she took him in, her body visibly sagging with relief at the sight of him.

"Oh thank god! I thought I was gonna be stuck up here all day!" She announced dramatically.

"What? Norma, what's going on-"

"Stop! Wait! Be careful!" She held up a hand to stop his entry into the kitchen, glancing around fearfully again. "I don't know where it went."

Alex's baffled eyes darted around the room, searching for something that might be scaring her and finding nothing.

"Where what went?"

"The rat!" She clarified, like he was being ridiculous and he laughed before he could stop himself, lowering his gun immediately.

"What are you doing?" She looked stricken, holding up her shoe even more defensively.

"I'm putting my gun away, Norma." She glanced at him in panic, and he chuckled again. "What do you want me to do? Shoot it?"

"Yes!" She shot back immediately. "Well... maybe." She reconsidered, sticking her bottom lip out.

He smiled at her, forgetting what she could be like, and she smiled a nervous smile back before he averted his gaze, clearing his throat awkwardly.

"Ok, so where did this rat go?" He asked, tucking his gun firmly back into the holster, and crouching a little, his eyes still scanning the room.

"Under the cupboard. There." He followed where she was pointing, and he smiled, noticing it was not far from where her shoe was laying haphazardly. He grinned over his shoulder at her and she rolled her eyes.

"I was low on weapons. I made do with what I had." She explained, a small smile tugging at her lips.

"Mm hm." He dropped to his knees suddenly, lowering himself into a push-up position to gaze under the cupboard, squinting into the tight dark space.

"Be careful!" She trilled worriedly from behind him.

His eyes adjusted to the gloom, and he barked out a short sudden laugh.

"You're sure it was a rat, Norma?"

There was a silence for a moment from the kitchen.

"Well... Pretty sure?" She shrugged. "I mean, I'm no expert on vermin, and I didn't get a good look at it. I was too busy getting the hell away from it!" She snapped at him. "I'm pretty sure it was a rat." She finished haughtily.

"Ok." Alex choked back a laugh, sweeping his hand under the cupboard, as far as his biceps would allow.

"Alex!" She started, her tone worried, and he heard the chair groan as she nervously shifted her weight. "Be careful! Not with your bare hand-"

She was cut off as he suddenly slid his hand out from under the cupboards, groaning as he scraped the back of his hand on the sharp wooden edge of one of them, and struggled to his feet, with something firmly clasped in his hands.

"Here's your rat Norma." He laughed, rising to his full height and turning to show her the tiny wriggling fieldmouse held gently in his hands.

"Oh." She breathed out, her whole expression softening. "Well..." She started, and he chuckled at her floundering.

He secured it more fully in just one of his huge hands, and she gasped.

"Don't hurt it!" She breathed out fearfully, and he loved her for her compassion in that moment. Even towards a creature she'd mistakenly thrown her shoe at.

"So you don't want me to shoot it?" He deadpanned, and she looked horror stricken for a second, before she giggled, realising he was joking.

She shook her head, looking a little embarrassed at her overreaction.

"He looked bigger out of the corner of my eye." She explained bashfully, as he reached for the doorhandle, letting the cold air curl into the the house as he stepped out onto the porch to find somewhere to place the tiny creature.

He returned to find her still perched on the chair, pouting at him as he strolled back in to the house.

"Was it ok? Was he hurt?" She asked gently.

"He was fine, Norma." He said quietly, shaking his head at her, smirking. "He ran away into the sunset with his little mouse pals."

She rolled her eyes, but looked happy, before she looked uncertainly at the floor, crouching a little to start stepping down.

"Here." He offered, without thinking, stepping in front of her, and wrapping his hands around her waist.

"Oh!" She let out a surprised gasp, as he lifted her down, her body sliding down his as he set her on her feet. The atmosphere in the room changed in a heartbeat, as he suddenly realised what he'd done. He didn't get to touch her anymore. He didn't get to absentmindedly reach for her, wrap his hands around her, feel the warmth of her body against his. But he had. And he couldn't quite bring himself to let go, letting his gaze drop to her lips, before they darted back up to her eyes, watching as she did the same, her eyes drawn to his lips as his tongue darted out nervously.

"Thanks." She breathed out, close enough that he could feel her breath brush across his face.

"No problem." He murmured, leaning in a fraction of an inch. She didn't pull back, just carried on looking up at him with those wide, uncertain eyes, as her hands drifted up her hips to press against where his hands were still wrapped tightly around her waist.

He winced slightly and the spell was broken, as they both took a step back suddenly, their eyes darting down to where her fingers had brushed over the nasty graze across the back of his knuckles.

"Sorry-" They both muttered at the exact same time, as his hands released her like he'd been burned, and she pulled her own hands away from the small wound.

They laughed nervously, before she gestured for him to sit down, sweeping out of the room for a second. He obliged her, because he wasn't sure his brain was working, so he just obediently took a seat and waited for her to return with a little green first aid kid.

His eyes widened and he halfheartedly tried to rise from his seat.

"Oh.. No, no." He waved his hand to stop her, and she ignored him, like he knew she would. "Really, Norma. I'm fine."

"Shut up." She muttered quietly, rifling through the kit to find the necessary items to clean up his hand. "You just handled a wild animal. You could have all sorts of germs in that graze."

He suppressed a laugh at her dramatic assessment of his wound, raising his eyebrows at her, pointedly darting his eyes down to the tiny angry red graze across the back of his hand. She didn't catch on to his look, starting her work seriously, not even slightly seeing how ridiculous she was being.

"I mean... Vermin carry diseases and all sorts." She explained, after a heavy silence followed and she dabbed some antiseptic onto a cotton pad.

He nodded seriously at her, only a small smirk tugging on his lips as he allowed her to work, knowing there was no point trying to stop her.

There was a long silence, as she cleaned up the small cut, and he watched her, watching as her forehead crinkled while she worked, biting her lip into her mouth when she thought she might be about to hurt him. She glanced up, catching him looking at her, and he averted his eyes, focusing his gaze back to the table, flexing his fingers.

"I'm sorry I called you." She blurted out suddenly, and his mouth dropped open. She carried on before he could answer.

"I didn't want to bother you but Dylan and Emma have Jacob for the day. They've taken him to the zoo." A tiny smile spread over her face. "I think they're practising." She added conspiratorially and he frowned, not catching on.

"They've been together a while now..." She explained, shrugging casually, throwing a cotton pad into the box. "And they're so great with Jacob. They seem so eager to spend time with him at the moment. I can't help but wonder if... well, maybe they're practising for their own child?"

"Really?" He smiled without thinking. He'd always liked Dylan and Emma, and he liked them even more as a couple. They always seemed to bring out the best in one another. Before things had gone wrong, him and Norma had made alot of happy memories with Dylan and Emma, and Alex had always enjoyed watching Norma and Dylan rebuilding their fractured relationship. Even after he'd moved out, him and Dylan had remained friendly, even going out for a beer now and then, and Alex had always appreciated the effort. So it made him smile to think of them having their own little family, even if the thought made him feel old.

She smiled broadly at him, nodding happily, before shrugging.

"I dunno. Maybe... I hope so."

There was another pregnant pause, before her smile faded a little.

"I know you have better things to do than drop everything and come to your ex-wife's-"

"You're not my ex-wife." He interrupted her, his voice suddenly sharp as they were both reminded of their conversation with George. She gulped, nodding lightly, as she felt his whole body tense up across the table from her.

"Well... Yeah." She took a deep breath, trying to ignore the slight waves of resentment that were pouring off him, knowing he was reliving George's words. "But I know you're busy and..." She trailed off, dabbing a little too hard with something that made him flinch and wince. He had no right to be angry with her. Not really.

The silence between them stretched on and grew oppressive.

"I really did think it was a rat, ya know." She said, her tone a little defensive.

He nodded at her. He hadn't thought she was lying.

"It looked so much bigger in my peripheral. And..." She shuddered a little, turning her attention back to his hand. "We used to have rats in the trailer... when I was little." She said in a tiny voice and his expression softened. "Used to get in through a hole under the sink. But my dad wouldn't do anything about them. And my mom didn't seem to notice..."

He squeezed her hand suddenly, and her head shot up, their eyes meeting. He gazed at her warmly, his thumb rubbing soothing circles against the back of her hand.

"I just hate rats." She added, her voice small.

"It's ok." He assured her, his eyes boring into hers. "Really."

"I didn't have anyone else to call-" She started helplessly.

"It's ok." He repeated sincerely, squeezing her hand again. "You can call me anytime. I don't mind. I'll always come."

Her mouth dropped open at his words, and they shared a charged look, before she shook herself, clearing her throat.

"There. All done. I think we saved the hand." She joked mildly, and he glanced down at the much cleaner, less angry looking injury, nodding gratefully.

"Thanks." He choked out, rising to his feet unsteadily.

"Thank you for coming." She said formally, her tone stiff and awkward all of a sudden, as she stood aswell.

"Anytime."

She reached up suddenly, rising up on her tip toes, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him in for a hug like she had to talk herself into it.

It was over all too quickly, his hands barely brushing against her back before she was pulling back, her cheeks pink, her expression sheepish.

"Bye, Norma."

He made it to the door before he became aware of her struggling to catch up with him, one shoe clicking along the floorboard, the other bare foot padding softly, as she hobbled along behind him.

"Alex, wait!"

He turned, smirking a little at her mismatched feet as she slid to a stop in front of him.

"It's Jacob's birthday soon-" She started, unnecessarily. He knew his son's birthday was coming up. He tensed, fearing he knew what was coming. He sighed heavily, his heart aching at what he suspected she was about to ask. They were always so good, so fair when it came to this co-parenting thing. But perhaps things had gone too smoothly till now.

"And I know it falls on your weekend to have him?" She started and he nodded, resigned to the question he knew was coming. He would say yes, because he couldn't deny her anything, and he wouldn't get to see his child on his birthday.

"But I was thinking, unless you have anything else planned, maybe we could throw him a party here?"

There was a pause, where he mulled over her words.

"We?" He parroted back to her, and she cast her eyes to the floor, looking apprehensive.

"Well... yeah?" She shrugged. "I mean... if you wanted to?" She turned her eyes up to him. "I think Jacob would really like that."

Jacob wasn't the only one. He always hated celebrating his birthday away from her. He'd only had a couple since their split, but he'd always thought birthdays were a time for family, and it had always broken his heart in the past that they hadn't been on good enough terms to share in his day together.

Her face fell at his silence.

"I mean, it's ok. It's a stupid idea. You probably don't-"

"Yes!" He said hurriedly. "Yeah. I think that's a good idea."

Her expression spread into a delighted smile, beaming up at him.

"You do?" She nodded happily at him. "Ok. So I'll call you one of the days to sort everything out?"

"Sure, Norma." He said gently, reaching to grasp her forearm for a second, before nodding gallantly and turning to leave, before she noticed the smile that was threatening to crack his face in two.

They were actually going to celebrate their son's birthday, together, as a family. He could hardly wait.


	6. 2015 - I'm Ready

Norma was finally ready at the strangest time. It was weeks later, when he'd almost grown resigned to their sexless intimacy, when she woke him up late at night, shaking his shoulders hard.

"Alex?" She whispered excitedly. "Alex?" He murmured gently as his eyes flickered open, blinking up at her a few times.

"Norma? What's the problem?"

She rolled her eyes through the darkness.

"Why does everything have to be a problem?" He laughed at her, sitting up against the headboard groggily, rubbing his hand over his eyes.

"I'm ready." She announced grandly, her eyes sparkling through the gloom.

"For what, honey?" He yawned as she sighed, like he was being ridiculous.

She leaned in close, her lips brushing the shell of his ear, her hand stroking across his bare chest. He flinched a little at the unexpected contact, his sleepy eyes flying open to stare at her.

"I'm _ready_." She repeated slowly, her tone pointed, before she swung her leg across him, pulling herself up to straddle his thighs.

"Oh. Oh!" He said dumbly, floundering a little as she started pressing soft kisses against his throat. "What? Now? Right now?"

She pulled back, nodding at him, smiling wickedly as she pulled her silky chemise over her head, tossing it behind her, leaving her bare to him.

"Wait.. Are you sure?" She took a nervous, shaky breath and he rested his hands on her thighs gently, watching as she nodded, biting her lip. She didn't look all that sure, sitting back, looking unsure and vulnerable in her nakedness.

"Do you still find me attractive?" She asked quietly, crossing her arms self consciously across her chest, mistaking his respectful averting of his gaze as displeasure at her changed body.

"Yes." He choked out, letting his eyes drift down her body finally, reaching to tug her wrists from in front of her chest.

"I don't think my ass is ever going to be the same." She muttered darkly, glancing over her shoulder to where her ass was pressed against his knees, and he barked out a short surprised laugh at the idea that he WOULDN'T like that.

"I hope not." He murmured, letting his hands slide up her thighs, gliding over her ass, grabbing and squeezing at the flesh there. "I'm a fan."

She rolled her eyes and tutted at him, like she disapproved, but she couldn't hide the blush that crept into her cheeks, or the shy smile that spread across her face.

"And I have stretch marks..." She pointed out glumly, letting her finger tips sweep over the sides of her abdomen, softer and slightly more rounded than it had been. He cut her off by grabbing her fingers suddenly, tugging them away and replacing them with his own. He trailed his hands down her sides, making her shiver, gently sliding his fingertips along the faint silvery lines running barely noticeable down her sides.

"I don't care." He said honestly. He thought back to shallow, superficial man he'd been in his youth, always going for the prettiest girl in school, wasting so much of his adult life with shallow, vapid, beautiful women like Rebecca. He couldn't remember what it was like to feel that now. He couldn't deny he'd always been attracted to Norma, his body wanting her before his heart did, his hands aching to touch her smooth, petite body. But, something had changed. She'd given him a child. The body he'd once so lusted after, before they were even friends, had changed to give him the son he didn't know he'd always wanted. If anything, she was more beautiful to him now than she'd ever been.

She was watching him nervously, observing his face as he touched her body reverently, stroking his hand across the soft, pale planes of skin.

"You're so beautiful, Norma." He whispered and she ducked her head coyly. "How could I not be attracted to you?" He questioned honestly.

"I was just worried that you..." She trailed off, as he lightly scratched his nails up and down her thighs, enjoying the way it made her shiver.

"I was worried that you maybe wouldn't want me anymore." She blurted out and he grinned at her, taking her hand gently in his and pressing it between them, letting her feel the ever-hardening bulge growing between them.

"I want you." He said pointedly and she giggled, tightening her hand around him, stroking gently through the fabric of his boxers, watching as his eyes drifted shut.

"I want you so damn much." He muttered, as he gently tugged her hands away, placing them on his chest and letting his own fingers trail up her sides. He reached her breasts, cupping them lightly, darting his head forwards to press a kiss in the valley between them.

"Gentle." She muttered, as if he would need any reminding, as he let his thumbs brush over her nipples with a barely-there pressure, before he slid his tongue along the curve of her breast.

She sighed, her hands coming up to comb through his hair, and his tongue flicked back and forth gently, one hand wrapping around her lower back, the other caressing and massaging with the lightest of pressure. He swapped, delicately swirling his tongue around her other nipple, as his hands smoothed along the curve of her waist, over her hips and then back up again. He could feel the warm wet heat of her growing arousal where she was resting her weight against his thighs, but that wasn't enough for him, his hands dropping to grasp her hips hard, suddenly sliding down the bed, his hands holding her in place.

"Alex!" She gasped out in surprise, as his hands lifted her a little, and he shuffled down through the gap between her thighs. She resisted for a moment, trying to shuffle with him, and he stopped her, his hands holding her fast as he slunk down, smiling up at her from between her knees.

"What-" She murmured awkwardly, her face flushing, her mouth dropping open as he turned his head, pressing a soft, wet kiss against the inside of her thigh.

"Alex, no." She whispered unconvincingly, lifting her weight up on her legs, even as she bit her lip into her mouth, her breasts heaving hard with anticipation. "I'm too heavy." She said lamely, shrugging like she thought she weighed five hundred pounds.

"Shhh." He cut her off, his grip sliding down to her thighs, tightening, easily pulling her back down.

"Relax..." He murmured, as he craned his head up, lapping at her suddenly, and she let out a surprised gasp, her back arching.

"Ohhh..." She breathed out, as he tightened his grip even more, tugging her down, letting her settle her weight on him, lowering herself down to his waiting mouth.

"Mmm." He hummed against her flesh, the vibrations rolling off his tongue and through her body.

He flicked his tongue against her clit and she bucked, her hands shooting out to grab the headboard to steady herself.

He hummed again, low and deep, and she gasped at the feeling of the vibrations spreading through her body. He'd missed this, missed the taste of her on his tongue and the sound of her soft gentle sighs growing in volume as he worked her the ways he knew she liked. He was torn between wanting to take his time, and wanting to bring her satisfaction as quickly as possible, and after a few teasing, gentle licks, the latter won out and he latched his mouth around her clit, sucking hard.

"Yes..." She hissed quietly, one hand dropping to run through his hair, the other digging in hard to the wood of the headboard, her nails scratching against it.

He devoured her, smiling against her when he felt her hips begin to rotate in helpless little circles, grinding herself down onto his face, letting out sharp, needy cries into their room. He thought of Jacob, sleeping in Norman's old room, the connecting door wide open, only a few feet away, and his hand slid up her torso, pressing against her mouth for a second, trying to wordlessly tell her to be quiet. He didn't slow though, he wouldn't dare, and she misunderstood, sucking his thumb into her mouth without thinking, her eyes squeezed shut, her hand clutching at his, mistaking it for passion. He gave up trying to get her to be quiet, renewing his efforts, rewarded with a sharp little nip on his thumb and a series of growing moans.

"Don't stop. Don't stop." She panted out. Historically, he'd never stopped at this point but he loved her saying it anyway, loved the desperate, pleading quality in her voice when she was close and started blurting out words without thinking.

"Alex..." She whispered as she grew quieter for a second, frantically grinding her pelvis against his face, tugging painfully at his hair, her thighs quivering either side of his head as she came with a series of wild, broken cries. He didn't stop, lapping consistently at her, as she rode out her orgasm, until she flinched suddenly.

"Too much." She whispered and he stopped immediately, his hands taking as much of her weight as he could from this angle to help her lift her leg, watching as she flopped exhaustedly onto the bed next to him. He took the opportunity to wipe his mouth on the sheets next to him, not wanting her to feel self conscious, not when she looked as satisfied and relaxed as he'd ever seen her, her hand resting on her forehead as she giggled at the ceiling, panting out happy little sighs.

He opened his mouth to speak when a sudden cry from the adjoining room cut him off and then both glanced at the open door, freezing.

Jacob's little lungs forced out a piercing cry, screaming at being woken from his slumber by his mother's cries and they both glanced at each other, sharing a hesitant little smile.

"Oops." She breathed out, looking completely unrepentant as their son wept in the other room.

She moved to get off the bed, startling when his hand shot out to stop her.

"I've got him." He groaned as he rolled off the bed, trying to surreptitiously stretch out his aching neck without making her feel bad.

"No, no. It's ok. I was the one who woke him up." She said, completely unselfconsciously, referring to her own loud moans and he turned, holding a hand out to stop her as she moved to get out of the bed, smirking triumphantly at her.

"Yes. But I was responsible." He smiled at her, talking loudly over Jacob's cries, leaning down to press a kiss against her lips, pushing her back down gently, before he was gone, disappearing through the door to their son's room.

"Hey buddy. Yes. I know. She's very noisy isn't she?" She could just make out his words through the open door, as she leaned back happily, resting her head on her hand as she snuggled down between the sheets.

"I know!" He said and she giggled. He always did this, acting like him and the tiny newborn were having a grown up conversation even when the baby was screaming. "But what can I say, buddy? I tried to tell her."

Norma giggled, knowing Alex would hear her.

"Shhh..." Alex whispered. "She's listening. Be cool, man. Listen, you gotta go back to sleep, ok? Me and you mom have got unfinished business, ok?"

Jacob's cries quieted to unhappy gurgles, as if he understood what Alex was saying.

"Exactly." Alex said, and Norma grinned at the ceiling, tucking the sheet around herself. "Now you quiet down ok? Go back to sleep. Put your noise-cancelling headphones in, ok?"

There were a few more minutes where there were quiet whispers as Jacob's cries slowly quieted to nothing, eventually settling back to sleep in his crib. Alex smiled triumphantly, entering their bedroom with a flourish, to find Norma sleeping peacefully.

"Norma?" He whispered, his smile falling when she didn't stir. He took a faltering step, sighing heavily, casting his gaze down to the floor, trying to contain his disappointment. He took a deep breath, pretending he wasn't sad, at least happy she was sleeping so peacefully and happily, when she suddenly flicked her eyes open, giggling at him.

"Just kidding." She chirped out, her little tongue flicking out to lick her lips as she giggled.

"My god, Norma. You cruel woman." He sighed out, crawling onto the corner of the bed, reaching out to grab the corner of the sheet, suddenly whipping it away from her body with one slick movement. She was left bare to him and she instinctively covered her chest, giggling a shrill giggle. He crawled over to her, swallowing her giggle in a searing kiss, tugging her hands away from her body, pinning them either side of her head.

"Oh." He said suddenly, rearing back, leaning over her to his bedside table, turning on the baby monitor. They rarely used it, since the door to Jacob's room was almost always open, but he'd pushed it almost closed tonight. She glanced over at the slightly ajar door, resisting the urge to panic at not being able to hear their son crying. Realistically, she knew they'd be able to hear him almost instantly, even without the baby monitor, but Alex leaned over all the same, switching it on, a burst of static filling the room before it quieted to the baby's quiet breathing.

"Thank you." She breathed out quietly, smiling up at him gently, knowing he was humouring her with the monitor, but loving him for it.

He said nothing, just leaned down, kissing her neck gently, feeling her crane and arch her neck, giving him better access.

She gasped softly, and he relished in the simple power of the neck kiss, letting his tongue dart out to flick against her pulse point, leaving a line of soft, wet kisses down her throat.

He pulled back, having a sudden thought.

"We can stop if you want?" He murmured gently, bracing his weight on one arm, the other arm brushing the hair out of her face tenderly. "We can wait-?"

He started, and she cut him off by reaching up to press her lips hungrily against his, swiping her tongue into his mouth.

"I don't want to wait." She murmured as she pulled back, grinning up at him, her thighs drifting open, letting him settle between them.

"Lose the boxers." She said suddenly, her tone authoritarian, even as her gaze was playful, and he reared back on his heels, taking her all in as she lay back to watch him. She was beautiful, and he was unashamed as he tugged down his boxers, his erection springing free, throwing them behind him. Her gaze drifted down his taut chest, lingering on his erection, her gaze widening, her bottom lip being tugged into her mouth by her teeth, and he grinned pridefully. It had been a while since she'd looked at him like that, and he could completely understand. It had been a while since either of them had had more than 4 hours of unbroken sleep, or fallen asleep not covered in baby spit up or worse, or had chance to take a full, long, relaxing shower before their son had started crying again. He couldn't blame her for not feeling particularly sexy recently. Neither had he. But tonight, he felt like they were reborn, giggling and giddy like teenagers again.

She reached for him, her hand closing over him, pumping lazily a few times before rising to his shoulder, pulling him down. He settled himself down against her, taking himself in hand, lining himself up.

He nudged inside, feeling her tense a little and he paused.

"You ok?" He murmured, and she nodded, her neck and jaw tight.

He pushed inside further and she winced, her eyes pressing shut and he stilled again, feeling the harsh tug of guilt pulling at him. It felt like it had been a long time, but maybe he wasn't considering her feelings enough. He'd been there at Jacob's birth - He knew what her body had been through. He didn't want to rush her.

He moved to pull out of her and her hand on his shoulder tightened it's grip, digging her nails in, stopping him.

"I'm fine." She muttered out, and he gazed down at her for a moment like he didn't believe her, before she opened her eyes, nodding up at him.

He slid the rest of the way in, hating the way the gasped at the movement, pressing her face against his shoulder, taking slow deep breaths. He paused for the longest time, pulling back to take in her face, before he leaned down to kiss her deeply. He kissed her for a long time, her arms winding around his neck, her mouth opening to him him, sliding her tongue against his. He felt her body begin to relax around him, just as his muscles began to quiver and shake from being still, his body desperately needing friction. Her thighs pulled up around his waist, her feet tapping against his thighs, urging him to move.

He pulled back just a little, before sliding back inside her, wrenching his lips from hers to gaze down at her. Her eyes squeezed shut as he moved and he panicked.

"Am I hurting you?" He muttered, stilling once again. Her eyes shot open and she shook her head immediately, breathing out a short breath.

"Just... go slow." She murmured.

He moved again, his movements slow and deliberate, ready to stop at any moment and she breathed out another short, sharp gasp. His face crumpled where it was pressed against her hair, sure he was hurting her.

"I missed this." She breathed out gently against his shoulder, and he pushed his weight up on his arms, gazing down at her, smiling breathlessly at each other.

"I missed this too." He muttered out, beginning to move slowly, gently, holding his weight off her to watch her face.

Privately, he was worried that, after such a long time, he would struggle to hold back. He knew he **would** hold back - He loved her. He would never hurt her. But he had secretly worried that his body would protest a little at such a gentle pace after seeking release inside her body for such a long time. But it wasn't like that. As he moved gently inside her, rocking his hips slowly, continually checking her face to make sure she was ok, he felt no urge to speed up, or to press her any harder into the mattress. They moved as one, breathing out perfect moans and sighs into each other shoulders, clutching at each other like they couldn't get close enough.

Her hips tilted up to meet his, and she cried out at the new angle, dragging her nails down his back, her orgasm imminent.

"Shhhh..." He managed to choke out, not sure where the presence of mind came from to quiet her, thinking of waking their child again, and she giggled through her pleasure, the sound dying out as he increased his pace slightly.

"I love you..." She choked out, her body beginning to tighten as he stroked inside of her gently. She was silent for a second, before she mewled quietly though a bit lip, sucking in a sharp breath before breathing out a soft moan through an open mouth.

"Love you, love you." He chanted helplessly, leaning down to press his face against the crook of her neck. His teeth grazed her flesh as his hips quickened slightly, following her into the abyss, both of them clutching helplessly at each other as he rutted hard against her a handful of times. He spilled inside her body with a stifled groan and an equally shrill moan from her, before he pulled back, kissing her sweetly for a moment before rolling off her.

She winced slightly, hoping he wouldn't notice, but he did, immediately rolling onto his side, sliding his hand across her stomach, pulling her against him.

"How do you feel?" He asked nervously, running his hand up and down her body gently, his tone tortured, his brow furrowed. He was so afraid that he'd hurt her until she puffed out a breathless little laugh, her hand dropping over her face.

"I... I feel good." She assured him, her breathing slowing a little, turning to coyly smile at him.

She covered his hand, stroking her fingers across the back of it. "It was perfect."

He breathed out a soft laugh, still gazing hard at her, as if waiting for the "but" he thought was coming.

"I wasn't too rough?" He muttered, almost inaudibly, pressing his face against her shoulder, hiding his guilt. She rolled onto her side, turning to face him, cradling his face.

"It was perfect." She repeated seriously, and he finally looked at her, seeing the sincerity in her eyes. "You're the husband I didn't know I was waiting for." She murmured, and he sucked in a breath, allowing himself a split second to think of the husbands she'd had before him, before he pushed them from his mind for good.

She rubbed her toes against his leg, her hand sliding down his bicep, as his hand drifted around her hip, pulling her naked body close to his.

"You sure you're ok?" He muttered, and she nodded, licking her lips deliberately.

"Better than ok." She whispered, reaching down to pull the sheet up over them, tucking it up around them both.

They watched each other through the darkness for a moment, smiling sweetly at each other, him reaching up to stroke a messy curl out of her face.

"You wanna listen to him breath?"

"My god, I thought you'd never ask!" She shot back immediately, and he laughed, reaching behind him, retrieving the baby monitor and positioning it on the pillow between them. He felt her body relax at the sound of their son's steady even breaths.

"I thought I could never love anyone more than you." He murmured, already feeling the sound of Jacob's breathing lulling him to sleep.

"Hmm?" She muttered back, stroking her hands down his side, settling on his hip.

"But... I would use you as a a human shield to protect that baby." He whispered, and she breathed out a soft, half laugh, that segued into a snore.

"Glad to hear it. Wouldn't have it any other way..."

* * *

 **Yes, I stole a quote from the relationship of Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively! His quotes about fatherhood are SO truthful and SO beautiful. Kudos if you noticed it! They're SUCH #goals!**


	7. 2020 - Missing

"Alex?!" Norma's voice was shrill and tight in his ear and his senses were immediately on alert.

"Yeah?" He wasn't sure who else it would be? She had called him. But it seemed wise not to point that out, not when she was clearly in one of her shrill moods.

"Is Jacob with you?"

He swerved, his blood running cold for a second, nearly crashing the squad car into oncoming traffic, before he pulled back across into his lane.

"No..." He said quietly, hearing her let out a little growl of frustration. He checked his watch.

"Isn't he still at soccer practice?"

"No!" She practically screeched at him and he had to drop the phone away from his ear a little. "I'm here and he's not here and this **USELESS COACH** has no idea where he is!"

"Norma, calm down." He said, knowing she would do no such thing. In truth, he felt the icy grip of panic taking hold of him too, but he tried to choke it down, keeping his voice calm and even.

"I'm on my way." He said simply, turning the sirens on and speeding his way across town to the soccer field in minutes. He saw her immediately, phone in hand, gesturing wildly at the young man in a soccer kit, who was looking like he wished the ground would swallow him up.

"Are you even old enough to be in charge of children?!" He heard her screeching at the terrified soccer coach, as Alex jogged over to her.

He was almost relieved to see her yelling, fearing he would find her distraught, but as she turned to face him, he realised he had been right the first time. Tears were streaked down her face, her eyes wild and wet and worried, softening a little when they landed on him.

"Alex!" She said, her tone filled with relief.

"I'm not sure there was any need to call the police just yet, ma'am." The coach piped up, glaring disapprovingly at Alex's sheriff uniform. "I'm sure he's just wandered off somewhere-"

Norma didn't even glance over her shoulder, just held up a hand to silence him.

"You. Shut up." She snapped, running a frantic hand through her blonde waves, messing them up, taking a deep breath.

"I'm just saying." The man shrugged bravely, apparently feeling bolder now he was sure she couldn't beat the crap out of him in front of a cop. "I'm not sure we need to panic just yet. He hasn't been gone that long."

"HE'S FIVE!" She screamed, whirling round, her eyes. "Are you fucking insane?" She took a step towards him and he shrunk back, appealing with terrified eyes to Alex over her shoulder. He was half inclined to let her whack the shit out of this guy with her purse, but he realised that would accomplish nothing, and stepped forwards, wrapping his hands around the tops of her arms, tugging her back.

"Hey, hey." He muttered soothingly, and she stopped struggling, sagging forwards a little, her shoulders shaking. His own hands shook where he held her, but he fought to remain calm, tentatively pulling her back against him, his chest connecting with her back, feeling her lean back against him gratefully.

"Where the hell is he?" She muttered tearfully, and he sighed heavily, noticing the frown on the coach's face at their close proximity.

"I'm not here as the police. I'm her hus-" He cut himself off in time, expecting to feel her tense up in his arms, curious when she didn't. "I'm Jacob's father." He explained simply and the coach nodded, suddenly looking even more afraid, realising he'd lost the sheriff's son.

"What happened?" He said gently in her ear.

She wiped her hand under her nose, taking a shuddering breath before speaking again.

"I came to pick him up. And he wasn't here." She said simply, and Alex waited a beat, staring helplessly at the impossibly young, nervous sports coach, who shrugged.

"That's it?" He moved Norma to the side, stepping past her to crowd the younger man, who trembled as Alex encroached upon him. "That's it?" He repeated, his tone low and menacing, raising up to his full height.

"I had to send a couple of kids off during practice. They were standing right there?" He jerked his head behind him, as Alex's nostrils flared. "I... I don't know where he went?" The boy stammered, stumbling backwards, away from the angriest couple he'd ever seen.

"He was here one minute. And then he was gone. I assumed his parents had come for him but..."

Norma let out a sob at his words, and Alex released the fist he'd been curling at his side, turning back to her, finding her openly crying now, half-covering her face with her hands.

"Anything could have happened to him." She sobbed out, and Alex closed the gap between them without thinking, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her against his chest. She didn't resist, falling against him gratefully, wailing into his shirt.

"Alex, what if he's-" She trailed off, unable to finish her thought and he just held her closer, shaking his head, looking up at the gloomy grey skies above them, saying a silent prayer to a God he didn't think existed anymore.

"You." He glanced over his shoulder, not letting her go. "Go start looking."

"Ok. Where?"

"Everywhere!" He growled out and the young man tripped over his feet as he tried to get away, taking off at a sprint.

"You called Dylan?" He queried softly, and she nodded against his chest, sniffling hard.

"He's not with them. Dylan's out looking for him now." Her words were small and muffled.

Alex nodded, puffing out a deep breath.

"It's going to be ok." He murmured, rubbing his hands up and down her back soothingly. He wasn't allowed to comfort her anymore. Not really. But here he was. And she was letting him.

"You don't know that."

He didn't have an answer for that, so he just reached into his pocket, flipping open his phone and hitting speed dial.

"Lahey? I need you to put out an APB."

There was a pause, where he took a moment to compose himself, feeling her start to tremble in his arms again. He knew this would scare her, but he had to do everything he could, even if it terrified him to make this call.

"Jacob Bates-Romero." There was a pause and Alex felt his own hands begin to shake. "Yes. Yes, Isaac, my son."

He could feel her sobbing again, her tears soaking through his shirt, her hands desparately clinging on to the lapels of his jacket, like she was holding herself upright.

"Brown hair, brown eyes... Five years old." His voice broke on the last word, and he clung to her, probably squeezing her too hard, afraid to let her go, and to end this call and to have to go and look for him. "Thanks Lahey. Yeah. Thanks."

He hung up, and she finally pulled back, her face streaked with fresh tears, gazing up at him like a child looking for guidance. His hands automatically drifted to the sides of her face, cupping her jaw, stroking his thumbs tenderly across her cheeks, wiping the tracks from them.

"Alex..." She started, her bottom lip quivering. She sniffled.

"Our son..." She breathed out brokenly and he nodded, breathing in through his nose, feeling his own eyes burning with unshed tears. She needed him to be strong. He couldn't do this right now. He rested his forehead against hers. This was the closest they'd been since...

"Hey mom."

They both turned, their mouths dropping open at the sight of Jacob bounding over to them happily, chocolate syrup smeared around his mouth.

"Hey dad. Are you two gonna kiss?" He screwed up his face in disgust, as Alex's hands dropped numbly from her cheeks, dropping to his side. There was silence for a split second before Norma was sprinting over to him, pulling him in for a tight embrace.

"Oh my god! Jacob!" She sobbed out happily, pulling back to look at him like the didn't believe he was really there.

"Mom!" He groaned as she peppered his little face with kisses, wiping her lipstick from his cheeks grumpily. "Stop!"

He sounded like a teenager, not a little kid, and Alex barked out a short, surprised laugh before he started forward, pulling Jacob in for a hug aswell, both Norma and him afraid to let him go for a second.

"Where the hell have you been?" He murmured into his son's hair.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry!" A man's voice piped up from behind them and Alex stiffened, releasing Jacob and turning slowly to see George striding over to them, holding his hands up apologetically. His nephew was trotting alongside him, smiling innocently.

"We lost track of time. I'm so sorry!" He said smoothly, smiling a perfect white smile, his smile dropping when he took in Norma's tear streaked face.

"Oh no. Were you guys... Did you guys think...?" He directed his words entirely at Norma, acting like Alex wasn't there, and like both of them weren't glaring daggers at him.

"Oh Norma, I'm so sorry." He said, his tone syrupy sweet, reaching out with his hand to wipe the tears still lingering on her face. Alex started forwards, but he needn't have bothered. She didn't him, reaching up to slap George's hand away with enough force that Alex had to bite him cheek to stop from smiling.

"Don't touch me." She spat at him.

He rubbed his hand across his forehead, like he felt terrible about her outburst.

"The boys both got sent off early. You know how it is? Boys will be boys?"

She crossed her arms, scowling at him.

"Anyway, I couldn't bear seeing them both sitting there so miserable so I took them across the street for milkshakes. I guess we lost track of time?"

He pouted, cocking his head to the side, unaware his charm wasn't going to work on Norma this time.

"You took our kid without asking?! What the fuck is wrong with you, George?!" She practically screeched and George frowned at her words, flicking his eyes pointedly to his nephew who was gazing with interest between all the grown ups.

"Ok, ok. I understand that you're upset Norma, but there's no need for language like that in front of the kids-"

"Shut the hell up, George!" She yelled, lurching forward to shove him backwards. He stumbled a little and righted himself, shooting Alex a pointed look, raising his eyebrows a little.

"That was assault, Sheriff." He said, a smile tugging at his lips, like he found this all very amusing.

"I didn't see a damn thing." Alex smirked coldly at him, before feeling a little hand snake it's way into his. He glanced down to see Jacob looking up at him with big sad eyes.

"Am I in trouble?" He whispered, squeezing his father's hand slightly and both Norma and Alex both dropped to a crouch.

"No, no, honey." Norma trilled sweetly, tugging him closer to them both, both of them holding one of his little hands.

"Hey, you wanna go play in the squad car?" Alex said, and Jacob's eyes brightened.

Alex reached into his pocket, pulling out the keys and pressing the button to unlock the car.

"Hey, James? You ever been in a cop car?" The other little boy shook his head, his eyes wide and hopeful and Alex smiled, jerking his head towards the car, watching a both boys raced each other over to it.

"Now, wait a second, I'm not sure I want my nephew sitting when criminals sit..." George glanced dubiously from the boys happily fighting their way into the front seat, both making fake siren noises and pretending to arrest each other.

"They're sat in the front. Where I sit." Alex assured him, and George raised a single eyebrow.

"Same difference." He muttered under his breath. In a heartbeat, Alex had crossed the distance between them, squaring up to him. He was a little shorter than George, but the slightly taller man still shrank back a little, panic clouding his face.

"You got something to say to me, George?" There was a pause, where a ghost of a smirk crossed his face, and his eyes flickered to Norma for a second.

"Oh. I think me and your wife _talked_ enough already, Sheriff." He grinned wickedly at him, and Alex was raising his hand, smashing his fist into George's face, before he could stop himself. George stumbled backwards, clutching his jaw, his eyes wide and shocked.

"Alex!" Norma shrieked at him and he turned, seeing her take a small step back, her mouth hanging open, her breaths panting out. How could he be so stupid? She looked terrified. He unfurled his fist, hating himself, opening his mouth to say something, when George swung a punch, clipping him weakly in the side of the head, knocking him to the side.

"Stop! Stop!" Norma screamed, and both men pulled back a little, eyeing each other wearily, both ready to strike again, Norma's terrified tone the only thing stopping them.

She slid herself between them, her back to Alex, facing down George, breathing hard, as if willing him to even try and get through her to get to Alex.

He wiped the small trickle of blood winding it's way out of the corner of his mouth, holding his hands up and shrugging, sniffing hard.

"Whatever. I just bought your kid a milkshake and you hit me? I hope you're raising your kid with better manners."

Norma opened her mouth to speak, but Alex was quicker, speaking over her shoulder.

"You kidnapped our son without permission, George. You're lucky I'm not arresting you right now."

George laughed mirthlessly, shaking his head at the ground before looking up at them. He let his eyes drift up and down Norma's form, where she was still standing protectively in front of Alex, before flicking his steely gaze to Alex.

"This isn't about your kid and you know it." He said, and there was an unnatural silence on the football field for a second, both Norma and Alex acutely aware of the sounds of their heavy breathing.

"It's fine, Alex." He took a step closer, ignoring his proximity to Norma as if she wasn't even there. She took a step back automatically, colliding with Alex's chest, and his hands came up to gently hold her arms as George leaning in impossibly close, towering over both of them.

"I don't want her." He said in a stage whisper, like he was divulging locker room secrets, not talking about the woman right in front of him.

"In fact, I never really wanted her." Alex felt her arms tense under his hands, and tightened his grip on her a little, shaking as he tried to keep his cool. George chuckled to himself. "But it's hard to say no when it's being drunkenly thrown at you, ya know?"

Norma tried to start forward, and Alex gave her arms a little squeeze, trying desperately not to picture his wife drunkenly throwing herself at this entitled asshole stood smugly in front of them. They were better than this. They were better than George. He wasn't going to lose control in front of her again. If he ever hoped to make amends, he had to show her he could control himself. He couldn't judge her, not after everything that had happened.

George smiled a cruel smile at Alex, who just stared back, his jaw tight, before George dropped his gaze to Norma, smiling warmly at her.

"Norma... The next time I feel like slumming it, I'll give you a c-" He hadn't finished his sentence before Norma had brought her knee up between his legs as hard as she could, his close proximity giving her the perfect angle. George groaned, and hunched over, weakly trying to surge forwards, but Alex was pulling her away before George could gather himself.

He led her over to the car, leaving a swearing, groaning George curled up in a heap on the ground, both of them shaking with anger.

"He thinks I'm trash." She announced, her tone strange and unreadable, as they reached his SUV. They stopped, glancing at where the boys were happily playing, leaving chocolatey handprints on the beige interiors that would take weeks to come out. They were paying them no attention, entertaining themselves the way only five year olds could.

"I don't really give a fuck what George Heldens thinks about you." He spat bitterly, glancing over to see her bottom lip trembling.

"And neither should you." He said, his voice softening, grasping her forearm lightly.

"You're not trash, Norma."

She sniffled and tried to smile.

"I guess we all do stupid things when we're drunk?" She said sadly, and he pressed his lips together, inhaling sharply through his nose, before nodding. A long moment passed between them, his eyes clouding a little, before their attention was dragged away by a car door swinging open.

"What's wrong with Uncle James?" A little voice piped up and Norma looked over her shoulder, taking in George's still form back at the edge of the field. She shot Alex a little "yikes" look, but he simply shrugged, unfazed by George's pain. He hadn't received anything he hadn't deserved.

"He's playing a game." He held out a hand to let James jump down from the high passenger seat. "Go jump on him!" He said excitedly, and James took off, bounding over to his uncle and jumping all over him. Norma grinned at Alex, their smiles slowly fading as the awkwardness set back in.

"So... I guess I'll see you?" She glanced over to where Jacob was waiting patiently on the other side of the car. He hurried over, and Alex swept him up into his arms, hugging him close, the fear of him going missing still feeling very real.

"You won't forget my birthday, will you, dad?"

"It's all I think about, kiddo." He said, truthfully, setting Jacob back on his feet and smiling sweetly at Norma's loving look.

"See you saturday?"

Norma nodded, taking Jacob's hand and starting to lead him away, pausing to shoot him a loaded glance that would be all he would think about for days.

"I'm looking forward to it."


	8. 2018

**TRIGGER WARNING FOR VIOLENCE, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND MENTIONS OF RAPE.**

* * *

Alex was taking his jacket off, stretching his limbs uncomfortably after a long day at work, throwing his keys onto the sideboard, when he froze, hearing a familiar voice coming from his living room.

"Oh, he's a beaut, huh?" The muffled voice came from behind the door, and Alex frowned, turning slowly towards the sound.

"It's a shame he aint got your eyes though, Norma Louise. You always had the prettiest eyes."

Alex swung the door open, glaring coldly at the man he hated, who was sitting much too close to Norma for his liking, his son perched on his knee. There was a pause, where Norma and Caleb's heads snapped round, both of their mouths dropping open at the sight of Alex standing in the doorway.

"Blue eyes are a recessive gene." He muttered coolly, never taking his eyes off of Caleb, watching as the knee bouncing Jacob slowed to a stop. Norma was sitting stiffly on the other side of the couch, one hand holding on lightly to Jacob's little foot, like she needed to keep a hold of him.

"Sure, sure." Caleb muttered, his eyes flicking uncertainly to Norma, who was gazing in horror at the two men.

She sprung to her feet, reaching to take the wriggling toddler from Caleb's hands, ignoring his disappointed look and crossing over warily to where Alex was standing imposingly in the doorway.

"Caleb heard about Jacob." She started nervously, settling him on her hip, biting her lip as she tried to get Alex to look at her. He didn't take his eyes off Caleb, like he was a dangerous animal and could strike at any moment.

"I didn't know he was coming." She murmured nervously, and Alex finally glanced down at her and then back at Caleb. "He just wanted to meet his nephew."

"Ok, well. You've met him." Alex spoke finally, narrowing his eyes. "Now get out."

"Alex!" She blurted out in shock, shrugging apologetically to Caleb over her shoulder.

"What, Norma? He's seen him-?" He spat and she shoved him out of the room hastily, closing the door behind her.

"Alex, don't be like this." She implored, dropping her tone to a whisper.

"Like what, Norma?" He said wearily, shrugging at her, rubbing his hand across his tired eyes. "I don't know how you would expect me to be ok with this?" His tone wasn't angry, just genuinely confused that she could think he wouldn't be upset with that man holding their child.

She shifted Jacob's weight on her hip as his chubby little fingers reached up to sweetly play with her hair.

"We sent pictures to your dad..." She started defiantly and he scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"That's not the same and you know it!" He hissed back and Jacob frowned up at him, glancing between the adults, starting to sense something was wrong.

Alex sighed, reaching out to swing Jacob's hand back and forth a little until his innocent little face relaxed and he smiled at his father.

"He's dangerous, Norma." He whispered, trying to keep his tone casual and Norma huffed out a frustrated sigh, striding into the kitchen without another word and sitting Jacob at the table.

"You want something to eat, honey?" She cooed at him and he nodded, reaching for the little yoghurt she grabbed from the fridge and deposited in front of him. He tore into it, smearing it all over his face and Alex ruffled his hair gently before Norma jerked her head at him and they retreated back into the hallway, pushing the door too a little.

"He's not dangerous, Alex." She whispered, casting her eyes anxiously to the closed door to the room where Caleb was still waiting.

He shot her a skeptical look, crossing his arms across his chest.

"He's not! He would never hurt a child!" She muttered angrily and he cut her off.

"He already did!"

She frowned at him, leaning back on her heels, confused for a second.

"You, Norma! He hurt you!" He yelled, and she looked stunned for a moment, before she shook her head, screwing up her face a little.

" _You_ were a child." He added softly, his tone quieter now, imploring her to listen to him, but she ignored him, her face still screwed up like he was being ridiculous, shaking her head at him.

"No... No it's not... It wasn't-" She spluttered, waving her hand around dismissively.

"Norma. I swear to God, if you make an excuse for him right now..."

"I'm just saying, it wasn't the sa-"

"He raped you, Norma!" He roared, his frustrations at Caleb's closeness to his family boiling over, and she shrank back a little, tears springing to her eyes.

He panted, closing his eyes, not wanting to watch at her bottom lip trembled, her arms curling protectively around herself.

The sound of a door swinging open forced his eyes to fly open again, seeing Caleb standing in the doorway behind her, glaring daggers at Alex.

"Listen, I dunno what she told you, man..."

"Everything. She told me everything." His eyes darted back to Norma who was now steadying crying, worriedly chewing her thumbnail, staring at the floor and shaking. He took a small step forward and she took a step backwards automatically, taking her a step closer to Caleb. Alex stopped, holding his hands out, his eyes darting from his trembling wife to the man who hurt her and back again.

"Then you know it wasn't like that." Caleb said, a hint of smugness in his voice. "It was just..." His voice broke a little. "It was just that one time... And Norma Louise here forgave me herself so..."

"I don't really give a fuck if she forgave you." Alex saw her flinch out of the corner of his eye and instantly regretted how hard his words had sounded. He meant them though. " **I** don't. I don't forgive you. And I really don't want you anywhere near my son."

His gaze was steely as he stared Caleb down, puffing out his chest a little as Caleb took a few steps closer, his height making him an intimidating figure, Alex's mind flooding with horrific images of her trying to fight off this large imposing man. He shuddered, his eyes fluttering shut and when he opened them, Caleb had stopped behind Norma. Alex's jaw tightened, his hands curling into fists at his sides. Norma didn't seem to notice his proximity to her, her tortured, watery gaze still fixed at the same spot on the floor and Alex began to worry about exactly where her mind was right now.

"Well that's not really up to you, is it?" Caleb said triumphantly, his hands coming up to rest on Norma's shoulders, his fingertips brushing her collarbone. She shuddered, her whole body flinching and Alex had had enough. He sprang forwards, pushing Norma out of the way and closing his hands around Caleb's throat, shoving the man back against the wall. He choked and spluttered for a second before he wriggled out of his grasp, pulling back and punching Alex hard in the face. Stars burst behind his eyelids and he struggled to stay upright, the force of the punch staggering him for a second before he was coming back swinging, each of them landing blow after blow on each other, savagely swinging and clawing and kicking.

Alex was vaguely aware of Norma screaming for them to stop, but he was too far gone to notice, unable to make out anything clearer than the thundering of his own heartbeat in his ears.

"Caleb! Alex! Stop! Please! Please!"

He could feel a little hand trying to tug him back but he shrugged her off. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't stop now, Caleb was staring at him with a vicious hunger through one partially swollen-shut eye, jealousy and longing and dark desires swirling in his eyes as he snarled and roared like a wild animal. Alex reared back on his heels, determined to end this all now, knowing he needed to knock Caleb out with his next punch. He couldn't even entertain the thought of what would happen if he lost this fight, not with Caleb panting and shaking with the adrenaline running through his veins, his former prey so nearby. Alex concentrated, throwing his punch, but Caleb anticipated his move, rearing back just in time and grabbing for Alex's wrist, flinging it defensively away from him.

It all happened in a heartbeat. He felt his bones strain and ache, his tendons stretching as Caleb forced his wrist back, away from himself, and then his fist made contact with something soft and delicate and much too nearby to his right. He'd barely clipped her, just catching her chin, but it was enough, and she staggered back, her hand flying to her mouth, her eyes wide and terrified.

"Norma." He choked out, watching as she lowered her hand, staring in horror at the tiny smear of blood coming from her lip, and then back up at the two men, panting and gaping at her in shock.

"Mommy?" Jacob's little voice came from the doorway behind her, and all three of them froze, Norma and Alex sharing a beat of horrified silence.

She turned, seeing Jacob standing in the doorway to the kitchen, his chin quivering just like his mother's did when he was trying not to cry, the very same face she was making there and then.

Both of them failed, Jacob beginning to blub at the confusing situation in front of him, and Norma wiped her hand across her lip once more before she reached her hands out, tears silently streaming down her face as she hurried over to him.

"Shhh, shhh... It's ok. I'm ok. See! I'm fine." She cuddled him close, trying and failing to keep her voice even, scooping him up into her arms and turning back to them, her gaze cold and hard.

"Norma... I'm so..." He choked out, feeling helpless as he tripped over his words. Jacob wailed into her neck, clinging to her and she clutched him even closer, quietly sobbing.

"I know." She said sharply.

She looked up at the ceiling for a second, sniffling deeply, trying to pull herself together a little.

"I can't do this again." She muttered, more to herself than Alex, but he heard all the same.

"It's not... This isn't the same. I'm not like... It was an accident." His voice broke on the last word, feeling tears spring to his own eyes. She nodded.

"I know." She sighed sadly. "I know."

"I would never hurt you..." He implored taking a step forward, freezing when she held up her hand to stop him, her body tensing. Jacob was still sobbing into her collar, his chubby little arms locked around her neck.

"I know." She nodded stiffly.

"I need you to leave. I need you both to go." She said quietly, her words barely audible over Jacob's cries.

"Norma Louise... Please..." Caleb spoke finally, his voice thick with tears, but neither of them looked at him.

"No. Leave."

Alex and Norma closed their eyes for a second, listening to the shuffling footsteps and the quiet click of the door opening.

"I'm sorry, Norma Louise..."

When they opened their eyes he was gone, and it could have all been a bad dream, had it not been for the tiny bead of blood still lingering on her lip and Alex's multiple injuries.

"You too, Alex." She said, her voice quivering as fresh tears sprang to her eyes.

"Norma. Please..." He took another step forward and she flinched.

"Please..." He implored brokenly.

She turned away.

"Please don't make this harder." She sobbed. "Just... just go."

She stared at the wall for a long time, until she heard to door shut softly and then she released the wail she'd been holding in, sinking to the floor with the toddler still in her arms, curling up with him against the basement door, both of them weeping together for a long time after Alex left.


End file.
